A story of survival

Looking at you website. It's a nice tricky little drive across the East Baines River near Bullita. Had a hairy moment there so years ago when the Landcruiser slid towards the abyss(dark green water)...lol


Cheers

Yes Willem. Not a difficult crossing at all, PROVIDED you stick to the right line...

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

EPIRB even cheaper ...

... but search and rescue more expensive

... a one-day search not as expensive as a week ... there were media reports in WA Monday that the cops had basically given up as they thought he was doing a runner ...

No charge for an EPIRB search if it is genuine.

Cheers,
Peter.
OKA196 Motorhome

lets not get distracted abt costs etc ... my point is that this bloke broke quite a few rules that more experienced travellers than me on this site stress all the time lets not let the media turn him into some sort of crocodile dundee hero... if he had gione where he said he was going, taken a phone or an epirb all the trouble would have been avoided

Agree with Rocco2010 but the fortunate thing is that his brother had hired a helicopter to look for him, if he hadn't done that he would have been in dire straits I'd reckon.
Despite his failures I can't understand the cops not pulling in a chopper to have a look around the area, then again we are not privy to all the facts I guess.
This site is a great source of life's experiences and this is a great example of doing what we say we are doing, or going where we say we are. I believe some of the WA cops highly experienced in bushcraft has prepared a survival guide, I downloaded it some time back, but as usual haven't read it yet because I can't find it on my PC, but I'll make an effort now.
Paul & Fiona

Paul/Fiona if you can't find it I'm sure it is still in the Members File swap area. If not PM me and I'll email you a copy.

Armchair experts every where , read the article before making judgements on the location variation , he knew where he was.

yeah and for 8 days people were looking in the wrong place ... he was found 70ks away from where he said he was going

So rocco u have never ever taken a wrong turn ?

Took one today Axel, but i wasn't up the creek in the Kimberley during the wet season zat the time so it didn't matter

Oh and Rocco please tell us all what 'rules" he broke ,, going fishing ? taking a wrong turn? telling his wife where he was going? or did he break the "rules "by staying with his vehicle when it became obvious to him that he could not start and or extract itfrom where he was ?

Oh i give up...

Axel makes some good points.

This bloke got lost, but had the savvy to survive.

We can all learn from this. Stay with your vehicle and keep alive. The vehicle has items that you won't in the middle of nowhere.

Jim.

Found it in File Swap Dunc, thanks for the tip. I've probably saved it somewhere really safe, so safe I couldn't find it. I'll be print that one out for sure and then I'll find the original, probably on the laptop.
Paul & Fiona

He didnt sound to be in much danger from what I heard....
Unless of corse the esky was getting low!

Pure speculation on my part, but having drven there myself, I don't reccon a Kununurra resident gets to Cape Dommet without knowing where he was.

Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 Motorhome

A map isn't much good to you if you think you know where you are but are wrong... having a map doesn't stop people getting lost.
The fact is with a GPS and a map and an EPIRB and a SATPHONE you can still get lost,stuck etc.. he did everyithing right in his circumstances.. jeezus I hope none of the 'experts' on this forum never have their car break soemthing that they hadn't "planned' for and were thus carying a spare for..

I'd love to see how some of the so called experts on this forum travel.. I wonder if they tow a spare 4WD in case the one they are driving breaks.. long and short of it is - You can not plan for everything - mother nature will smack you down if you think you are better than that and if you are lucky you may live to regret it.

No matter how well "prepared" you are, you still need to have survival skill like this bloke. Contrary to all the armchair/ drivers seat experts spruking their well found knowledge on this forum because they have been survival instructors all their lives and have endured so many survival situations themselves (pardon my slight hint or sarcasm) This bloke epitomises how to travel in Australia. Everything he did was right once he was in a situation he couldn't recover himself from....

Yes,
absolutely agree with the 'Coyote'
""Everything he did was right once he was in a situation he couldn't recover himself from.... ""
As to how he got into the situation is not relevant

Mainey . . .

Right on Flywest...

The principal of survival "stay with your vehicle" is a "principle". it is not menat ot be a do or die rule that applies to all circumstance. it is especially important if you are LOST. If you know where help is and you know no one is coming looking for you, then you would be a twit to sit there and wait.. commonsense is fast becoming "uncommon' these days as we all become dependant on our satphones/epirbs, spare 4WD/helicopters etc..

yea ive walked out before
however i knew where i was, knew where the nearest homestead was and knew there was road near there. also knew there was some water on the way if need be

as It turned out no one was at the homestead and no cars came along the road. ended up using the phone (door was open) and there was no problems for my personall saftey once i reached the homestead

The point here is that he did everything right with the circumstances he was presented.. The proof is in the fact that he didn't only survive by the skin of his teath or by luck. it sounds like he actually managed to thrive in his circumstances. He wasn't found clinging to life after doing a series of stupid things.. he knew the priorities of survival and addressed them appropriatley and thrived as a result.. Yes, things would be different IF it was hotter, or IF it was colder or IF it was windier. IF it was different, no doubt, he would have responded differently that is - IF it was different.... What IF he had a SATPHONE, but had dropped it and the antennae broke??? The Experts here would say he was an idiot for not having a spare one of those too??????

How much 'stuff' to get you out of trouble is enough????" The answer is "IT DEPENDS" . You could carry 4 HF Radios, a SATPhone and 4 EPIRBs, then when some spinifex starts a fire under your car burning it to the ground in seconds... apparently, according to the "experts' on this forum you are an idiot because you didn't carry a spare car fully equipped with a replacement everything..... how stupid of you for not foreseeing this and planning for it....
The fact is you can NOT plan for everything. Part of the very reason many of us adventure to the great outdoors is becuase it is an escape, an opportunity to break away from civilisation etc.. no one can expect to allow for every cirsumstance in their trip planning. Everyone needs to apply common sense.. The EGGSPURTS on this forum may have some believe that if you can't afford and EPIRB, then you shouldn't be travelling in Australia... What a load of hogwash.. If you can afford one.. good for you.. if you want one.. go get one.. if it makes you feel warm and fuzzy then thats great for you, but good luck to you if you assume that you don't need to plan for the possibility of being stuck or lost simply becuase you have an EPIRB or a SATPHONE.. They aren't much good if you have had an accident and are unconcious, or they are burnt, or the batteries are dead.. The POINT with these devices is that - they are nothing more than AIDS to survival. In fact not even that.. they don't offer protection from the elements or water, althey offer is a location AID to assist other to find you. None of these devices gurentee survival in ALL circumstances. In fact they don't even GURANTEE to ASSIST you to be located in ALL circumstances... my two cents worth: Be very wary of ANY remote area traveller who claims he/she has all the location aid bells and whistles therefore he is an expert on survival.. the phrase "All the gear and no idea comes to mind"

If it's recognition people want because you drive around Australia with a trailer full of bells and whistles and survival "aids" then, for what it's worth... congratulations.. and, if you never need them - even better for all.. but be very carefull in assuming that because you have the latest and greatest bells and whistles you are "un-touchable". Mother nature / God / Fate/ (who/whatever it is you believe in) has a nasty way of brining those who take the outdoors for granted back to earth.. usually with a resounding thump...
SURIVAL in remote areas is more than carrying an EPIRB or a SATPHONE. For what it's worth. it seems pretty clear that this guy did exactly what he should have done given the circumstances he was presented with.
I wonder, just out of interest, how many people have ever discovered that their all saving - Satphone/EPIRB was U/S. tut tut.. I hope it wasn't in an emergency situaton that you found this out. According to the survival experts that this forum is bringing out of the woodwork - how silly/stupid of you. you should have had even more spares...
- Opinions are like Ar$e H0les.. every one has one..( myself included)... but not everyone wants to see yours/mine. I certainly don't profess to judge someone because they acted differently to me. in the end.. the gy got out not just alive,but fit and healthy.. clealry what he did worked. end of story...

One of those "Aids" to survival may have saved his family a week or or so of worry and grief and later some money in helicopter hire.

Not to mention the time effort and cost of tax payer funded S & R??

I think he basically did the right thing, told his wife where he was going, Stayed with the vehicle, survived ok.
I do think a simple EPIRB or satphone could have just saved S&R costs and worry.
I think anyone who is heading out on their own should have one or both with them.
Its just basic security i think
Just my thoughts
cheers
patrolman

Coyote I take it you are referring to me as being an "EXPERT"!

Unlike yourself who is trained in high level jungle survival I am just a poor city slicker with little to no survival skills who can afford all the bells and whistles to help me lower the risk of something happening to myself or someone close by.

As John said how much worrying did the people close to him have to endure and what human resources was wasted due to someones stupidity and inconsideration to others.

So a helicopter at $1000.00 per hour would soon pay for a UHF radio, sat phone and an EPIRB.....maybe his brother is smarter then him and give him some gear for Xmas.

People become to blazay with safety in the out back.

Oh thats right if anything happens I blame someone or something else....that will fix everything!

I have very little time for people who have a careless attitude when it comes to safety.

Nah mate, no one in particular.. just that on this forum the consnesus seems to be if you get lost/ bogged, get stuck, then you are a twit. my point is that even the best prpepared expeditions can have things go wrong.. there area lot of people (not specifically you) or jump in an judge base don the fact that they have travelled around th eblock 2 times or whatever and never needed to 'survive'. the point I'm trying to make is.. yo can do everything right and things stil lgo wrong.. I am frustrated with ALL of the experts coming out of the woodwork pronouncing this guy to be wrong becuase he didn't have a satphone etc..
Nothing personal

Higher expectations than a beat up story from a wet behind the ears newspaper reporter ? That wouldn't be difficult.

"Maybe it should be against Internet protocol to post links to print or TV media? "
That way we'd just read people's own opinions gleaned from their own experiences, what a great idea...NOT.
As the police said, they're glad he's OK. He showed a bit of nouse and was lucky. He made mistakes.
Everyone does. Including all the brand names that you mentioned :))

Yeah ....nice one Footy!!!!
Poor bugger goes fishing, has a few too many, gets bogged, his Mrs had the $hiits because he was fishing and told the cops she didnt know where he was.
Hes says bugger her...Ill stay for a couple of days till I polish off the esky???

NOW because of you! Poor bugger is being made out to be either Crocodile Doodoo or a complete Dill!
LOL

Hairy, you're right. It's all my fault !

[quote]As the police said, they're glad he's OK.[/quote]

I'll bet they are!

I wonder if they still will be, once he finds out they quit looking for him - and files a few complaints of dereliction of duty with internal affairs!

Fair dinkum - the Police of this state are not FIT to be charged with the responsibility of search & rescue.

IF you wanna be found alive - and you have a SAT phone etc 0 the LAST person I'd be calling when your life depends on it is police.

Maybe SES would be the better agency to accept that role and half a them are twits - so whats that say about the Police capability in this area of search & rescue?

Truly - the agencies we have in this area (SES & Police, specifically) having worked with BOTH agencies in these areas worry the heck outta me!

If you are down to the point you are relying on them finding you - then better hope you paid up your life insurance before you headed off, coz your odds would less than 50/50 depending on those two agencies IMHO.

Says a LOT that this guys bro found him when Police couldn't be bothered looking and had given up!

I don't know why our agencies are so full of young bucks these days with no experience or committement (OK a generalisation) but in trut when you see the dregs of society they constantly have to deal with and the scum salary they are paid - who in their right mind with half a brain wold do as the govt is beseeching and "step forward" to serve?

Standards of professionalism have dropped across the board in our public service.

Maybe its the "pay peanuts - get monkeys" cause and effect.

All I know is - I don't rely on police much these days for anything of any importance.

Sad to tar the lot wth the same brush - I've known a LOT of fine officers and workedwith quite a few over the years - any with any brains and who were any good, got out of the force!

Sad indictement really.

Cheers

Mike, excellent. Well done and also Damien.