Contact lens fluid saves lost teen's life
2013-02-19 15:20
A British teenager who got lost in the Australian outback for three days quenched his thirst by drinking contact lens fluid and could only ask rescuers "Where am I?" when they found him gaunt and dazed, National Post reports.
According to Discovery News, Sam Derry-Woodhead, 18, from Richmond upon Thames, outside London was spending a few weeks at Upshot Station in Queensland learning to herd cattle.
He went for a jog with a liter of water, but got lost and was unable to find his way back to the ranch.
Fortunately he had carried saline solution for his contact lenses with him, and ended up drinking that, as well as his own urine, to stay hydrated.
Rescue crews spanned out on horseback, quad-bikes, motorbikes, four-wheel-drives, light aircraft and helicopters to search the 54632 ha of surrounding scrubland.
On Friday, the third day of the search, a helicopter spotted the teen sunburnt, weak and severely dehydrated, but otherwise unharmed about 9km from the remote Upshot Station. He had lost 14kg during this time and looked gaunt and confused.
William Morris, a commander of the local emergency services, told National Post that usually, by the third day, you're lucky if you find someone alive.
