Lost in the Australian Mountains
Hadi Nazari, a 23-year-old medical student from Melbourne, went missing on Dec. 26 when he separated from two hiking companions to take photos in the Kosciuszko National Park in the Snowy Mountains in New South Wales state. Two of Mr. Nazari’s friends called the police around 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 26 after he failed to arrive at a campground where they had expected to meet up with him. They had last seen him about six hours earlier as he went off onto the Hannels Spur trail alone. About 400 people searched by air and on land for Mr. Nazari over the course of 13 days, the police said. Throughout the search, the authorities remained hopeful that Mr. Nazari was alive, as he is an experienced hiker and had camping supplies in the backpack he was carrying at the time he disappeared. The location has “incredibly dense bushland and challenging conditions on the ground,” acting Superintendent Jill Gibson of the Riverina Police District said in a statement last week, adding that in some parts of the wilderness being searched, rescuers “can’t see their feet” because of the dense vegetation.
On New Year’s Eve, “rubbish and hiking poles” that apparently belonged to Mr. Nazari were found near the Kosciuszko River. On Sunday, his lighter, camera, camera bag and remnants of a campfire he had lit were discovered near the Geehi River. Throughout the search, the authorities remained hopeful that Mr. Nazari was alive. On New Year’s Eve, “rubbish and hiking poles” that apparently belonged to Mr. Nazari were found near the Kosciuszko River. Overnight temperatures in the mountains regularly drop to five degrees Celsius, and sometimes fall lower, in the Aussie summer (the Northern winter). Although the ranges are mostly devoid of snow in the summer months, the thick bush and blustery winds make it one of Australia’s most difficult walking tracks.
He was rescued after he approached a group of hikers on Wednesday afternoon, telling them he was lost and thirsty, Police Insp. Josh Broadfoot said. Nazari had traveled more than 6 miles across steep and densely wooded terrain from where he was last seen. He was reunited with his two hiking friends on Wednesday before he was flown to a hospital for a medical assessment, Broadfoot said. Nazari told police had had been “walking from morning until night,” Broadfoot said. “He seems well: Amazing,” Broadfoot told reporters. “This is the 14th day we’ve been looking for him. For him to come out and be in such good spirits and in such great condition, it’s incredible,” he added. The hikers called the emergency services, and Mr. Nazari was then airlifted to a command post to be evaluated by paramedics. Mr. Nazari had no major injuries and appeared to be in good health, the police said. He was then taken to a hospital to be further assessed and rehydrated. “We never gave up hope of finding him,” Inspector Josh Broadfoot of the Riverina Police District said in a statement on Wednesday. “We are elated we can return him safely to his family.”
Awesome Australian
Who should carry the bear mace when hiking with friends?
The slowest runner.
What do you call a prison full of kangaroos?
Australia.
I made a playlist for hiking!
It has music from Peanuts, The Cranberries, and Eminem.
I call it my….Trail Mix.
A man hiking in the Himalayas comes across a sadhu meditating. He says the sadhu, “there is a blizzard coming aren’t you going to go back to town?” The sadhu responds
“Nah I’ma stay.”
January 14th Birthdays
1967 – Emily Watson, 1967 – Kerri Green, 1998 – Isabella Souza, 1990 – Emma Greenwell
1990 – Grant Gustin, 1970 – Jason Bateman, 1949 – Carl Weathers, 1994 – Samir Patel