A fit, healthy person could survive being lost in the bush for two weeks or more - as long as they had water and shelter, a survival expert said today.
Commenting on the discovery of British backpacker Jamie Neale, Paul Luckin, a Brisbane anaesthetist, said that, "if a person had water, warm clothing and was able to keep himself dry and out of the wind, survival for a fortnight is quite likely".
Dr Luckin, who gave evidence at the recent inquest into the death of 17-year-old David Iredale, who died after becoming lost in the Blue Mountains in December 2006, said water, not food was the crucial issue.
"Food is not a limiting factor until at least three weeks.
"If [Mr Neale] was able to find some water, his chances of survival would be fairly good," said Dr Luckin, adding: "He may have been fairly uncomfortable.
"How long you can survive without water depends on how hot it is, the humidity, the winds and how much exercise you are doing."
He speculated that Mr Neale, described by his family as an experienced hiker, "may have been able to make himself a shelter by scraping together some dry vegetation, or by finding a cave. It sounds as though he had just about everything going for him".
Dr Luckin has been involved in rescues since the 1970s when he was a Tasmanian ambulance paramedic. He later spent eight years attached to a South African mountain rescue group and now teaches rescue skills to police.
He said the case of Mr Neale should be used to remind people that the key to survival in the bush was preparation. Everyone entering the bush should leave details of where they are going, when they expect to reach certain points and when they will be back.
They should also carry an EPIRB emergency rescue beacon which, if activated, could beam their position, within a few hundred metres, via satellite to the Australian Maritime Safety Authority. A mobile telephone, which could be turned on from time to time, could also be used to make contact with the outside world.
To avoid getting lost, Dr Luckin added, "the key is never to go alone and never, ever, walk away from a group.
"The majority of people I have had to go and look for are people who are not prepared, are not in groups and no one knows where they are going. It is, in my experience, very uncommon from someone from an organised mountain or hiking group to get lost.
"It is usually the day tripper who grabs a backpack and a pair of running shoes who doesn't come home. Mother nature is a great friend but if you put yourself against her she will win every time."