Comments on: Media Circus Surrounds Blue Mountains Survivor Jamie Neale

By: Francis

Francis — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 15:15:13 +0000

I totally agree with Brett Day. I have hiked in this region many many times and have also participated in SARs also in this region and this guys survival story does not make any sense and is totally unbelievable. In fact I would doubt that any bush walker would believe this story. I hope the Australian Police do a more thorough checking of the facts.

By: Brett Day

Brett Day — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:15:20 +0000

As an ex RAF Search and Rescue NCO and now a bushcraft and survival instructor I am amazed at how well he looks after 12 days in the bush. He looks a lot better than many people I’ve pulled of the hills.

A rule of thumb regarding survival is Three weeks without food, three minutes without air and three days without water.

He’s talked a lot about what food he found – initially he said that he ‘guessed’ at eating edible plants, he has since said that he knew the nuts he was eating where edible. An interesting change in his story. He has also made no mention of the most important thing that kept him alive how he obtained a clean source of water.

It’s since come out that he was an experienced walker and had completed his DofE award.

Given that he did everything wrong he is either very, very lucky or this is an elaborate hoax (this wouldn’t be the first time there have been ‘survival hoaxes’in the australian bush).

Either way, in my opinion any money he recieves for his story should go to the SAR forces, a SAR operation is not a cheap undertaking.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 11:30:07 +0000

According to information from authorities in the UK, Jamie Neale has a Duke of Edinburgh award and was a very experienced hiker. According to those who know him:
At school “he had a reputation as a resourceful young man”, and “blitzed the stage of his Duke of Edinburgh award during which he learned bush survival skills and had to find his way out of Epping Forest in Essex”. Although “he was lost in the forest, he made it back to safety in record time”.
Apparently, he was also lost in Snowdonia, but found his way out. (I was lost in Snowdonia with three others at the age of 13 on a school trip, but we found our way out without fanfare – and we’d never been on a trek before.)

It is also said that “he had an unusually high tolerance of the cold”.

Given all of the above, this smells very fishy to me. Added to which, tourists regularly “get lost” in the Australian bush or desert and are paid handsomely for their stories when found. It’s not at all surprising that people are sceptical.

By: Ess Zed

Ess Zed — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 07:22:17 +0000

I would like to know why Jamie’s father is not being charged for vandalising a cave in the Blue Mountains National Park (Re: Memorial)!!!???