An 18-year-old teenager who survived on lollies, a muesli bar, and creek water after getting lost for three days southwest of Brisbane says he has "no plans" to go hiking again anytime soon.
Nathaniel Green was trekking in SE Qld’s Mount Barney National Park when he became disoriented last Thursday morning.
He called for help, which led to a large-scale search and rescue operation involving SES volunteers, helicopters, and local community members.
Green was found safe and unharmed by authorities on Saturday.
“I went up the mountain Thursday morning to catch the sunrise, but my phone died and I ran out of water. That’s when I got lost,” he explained. “I thought I was heading in the right direction to get back, but it turned out I wasn’t.”
Feeling disoriented and exhausted, Green continued down the mountain, drinking from a nearby creek to stay hydrated. He created a makeshift shelter to survive the freezing nights and made do with a pack of lollies and a muesli bar he had brought along for the hike.
On Friday night and Saturday morning, after spotting rescue helicopters overhead, he realized he had to climb higher in hopes of being found.
“That's when I called out, and someone heard me and called for help,” he said. “I don’t know who it was, but they probably saved my life.”
After the three-day ordeal, Green’s plans are simple: heading home to eat, sleep, and shower.
“Oh, shower and then sleep probably,” he joked.