‘Miracle’ pair survive days without water in Australian remote outback
Two people have survived days without water in Australia’s hot and dusty outback, police said on Monday, ending a frenzied five-day air and land rescue effort.
Twenty-one-year-old Shaun Emitja and 14-year-old Mahesh Patrick were reported missing on Tuesday in the Harts Range area of central Australia.
They had failed to return to the remote community of Hermannsburg after a weekend away.
After their blue Nissan Navara was found abandoned and bogged down in a dirt track, police scoured the countryside using a helicopter and expert trackers. The pair were feared to be in grave danger given a lack of water and the area’s extreme temperatures of more than 40 degrees Celsius (104 Fahrenheit) in what is still the southern hemisphere’s spring.
But Northern Territory police said on Monday that the two men — who had become separated — were found alive and well by an “absolute miracle”.
Officers said teenager Patrick was found in bushland late on Friday and was treated for dehydration and sore feet from walking in the remote environment.
Emitja was not found until a day later. “He is undergoing health checks but appears well,” police said. It is believed the pair survived without fresh water or provisions.
“We believe that the last time they had water could have been on the Tuesday,” Acting Commander Kirsten Engels said, reported BBC.
Patrick walked about 35km on his own, at one point finding a fence which he followed south for two days. He was found on Friday night.
“Miraculously, he was located by community members who reunited him with his community and family,” said Acting Cdr Engels.
He then helped a police air search for Emitja, who was found on Saturday night.
“They are extremely lucky to be alive — we all know how harsh it is out there,” said Acting Cdr Engels.
Authorities advise people to stay with their cars if they become stranded in the outback - as it offers some shelter and protection from the elements and is a larger target for search helicopters to find.
People travelling in Australia’s remote outback should also carry food and four litres of water per person per day, authorities say. —