Australian In Bangkok Hospital After 11 Days In Laos Jungle

[sriracha john]

Australian man critical after 11 days in Laos jungle

An Australian man who survived for 11 days' in a Laos jungle remains in a critical condition in a Bangkok hospital. Matthew Hayden Adcock, 40, was lost in the jungle in the east of Laos, about 270 kilometres from the capital Vientiane.

Staff at the hospital in Bangkok say he is in the intensive care unit, suffering sepsis or blood poisoning and a skin infection over much of his body.

A helicopter search organised by the Australian Embassy in Laos found him on August 10, but could not land because of heavy rain and flooding. He was taken out by land over two days and then transferred to Bangkok last week.

His family is expected to visit him in the coming days.

- ABC News (Australia) / today

[sylviex]

Australian man survives 11 days in Laos jungle

An Australian man missing for 11 days in the jungle of Khammuan province in Laos has been found alive, but is in a critical condition.

The Vientiane Times reports the man is being treated in a Bangkok hospital.

Australia's Ambassador to Laos, Dr Michele Forster says the man had been attempting to walk the well known Tasanam waterfall in Hinboun district.

The man was found at a different waterfall on Sunday after a helicopter search.

radioaustralia.net.au/news/stories/200808/s2341024.htm?tab=latest

Dr Forster has told the Vientiane Times he began his walk on July 31, but the Australian embassy was not notified until August 8.

[sylviex]

Australian man survives 11 days in Laos jungle

Article from: AAPAugust 20, 2008 08:16am

AN Australian man has survived 11 days lost in a jungle in Laos after he went in search of a local tourist attraction.

The middle-aged man was taken to Bangkok in Thailand in a critical condition, the Vientiane Times reported yesterday.

Australian Ambassador to Laos Michele Forster said the man had tried to walk to the well-known Tadsanam waterfall in the Hinboun district of Khammuan province.

He left on the afternoon of July 31 but the Australian embassy was not notified he was missing until August 8.

On Sunday, the embassy and the Red Cross organised a helicopter search and found the man at another waterfall in the area.

"At the time, it was raining in the village, quite cold and the conditions were very difficult,'' Dr Forster said.

"The village community and local government had done a lot to try to find him but they had been unable to locate him.''

The helicopter could not land in the jungle and the man had to be carried out.

It took villagers almost four hours to carry the man on a stretcher, cutting their way through the jungle.

"When they found him his condition wasn't good. He was very weak and sick and obviously cold because he had been exposed to the cool weather over the last few days,'' Dr Forster said.

The man was brought back to the local village and taken to Vientiane by helicopter before being taken Bangkok.

Australian Embassy Second Secretary Emily Russell said the area had thick jungle and it was easy to become lost.

She said rising water may have covered the main track in the area, causing the man to lose his way.

Khammuan Tourism Department director Thaiyaphone Singthong said the waterfall was a beautiful and well-known site that attracted a lot of visitors, including foreign tourists.

Mr Thaiyaphone said he thought the man may have wanted to go upstream from Tadsanam waterfall, but was warned against doing this.

Dr Forster said the embassy planned to support a small tourist development office with guides to lead treks to the waterfall and the surrounding jungle.

"We will be looking at different ways to support the community, particularly the office, in terms of possibly putting up signs or providing training to the local guides to thank them for all their help,'' Dr Forster said.

"We feel deep gratitude to the local villagers and authorities that assisted us.''

news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,24211377-662,00.html

Edited August 20, 2008 by sylviex