62-year-old man lost in Australian Outback survives on ants

[webfact]

Hunter survives 6 days without water in Australian Outback

PERTH, Australia (AP) — A 62-year-old recreational hunter lost in a hot and arid region of the Australian Outback survived without water for six days by eating ants, police said Tuesday.

Reg Foggerdy left a car driven by his brother late Wednesday in pursuit of a camel in the Great Victoria Desert in Western Australia state, Police Superintendent Andy Greatwood said.

Police trackers found the former miner sitting under a tree on Tuesday morning 15 kilometers (9 miles) from where he became lost.

"He just spent the last two days under a tree eating black ants and that sustained him," Greatwood said. "When we found him, he was extremely dehydrated, disoriented and basically delusional."

A paramedic immediately gave Foggerdy intravenous fluid and he recovered quickly.

"The good news is he was sitting up and talking," Greatwood said.

Foggerdy was airlifted by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to the Kalgoorlie Regional Hospital. Details of his condition were not immediately available.

The brothers had been driving back to their camp 170 kilometers (110 miles) east of the nearest town, Laverton, after a day's hunting when Foggedy went missing, wearing only a T-shirt, shorts, a cap and flip flops. Temperatures reached up to 37 degrees Celsius (99 degrees Fahrenheit), Greatwood said.

Greatwood would not speculate on how much longer Foggerdy could have survived.

"It was probably good will and a miracle that he survived as long as he did under those conditions with no water," Greatwood said.

Camels were brought to Australia in the 19th century as pack animals to pioneer the island continent's dry interior. Hundreds of thousands of feral camels now run wild in remote regions.


-- (c) Associated Press 2015-10-13

[MaxYakov]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

Edited October 13, 2015 by MaxYakov

[dcutman]

Sounds like one tuff dude, with some serious will power.

[newatthis]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

Filtered or unfiltered?

[NickJ]

My Ex's family could do it and nobody would think it was a big deal. Toss in a deep fried field rat and they wouldnt need the castle or the stuffed mouse.

[FritsSikkink]

Sounds like one tuff dude, with some serious will power.

and the brain of an ant

[oxo1947]

Wow Bear" Grylls better watch out for his job.................................

[Seastallion]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

I would for camel toe, maybe.

[HerbalEd]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

Filtered or unfiltered?

When the Camels Cigarette advertising slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel", was famous there was no such thing as a filtered cigarette.

[ExpatOilWorker]

He will do well sitting under a tree in Isaan. A few Changs to wash down the ants will prevent any kind dehydration.

[MaxYakov]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

Filtered or unfiltered?

I like my ants filtered.

[JetsetBkk]

No witchetty grubs in the Great Victoria Desert? He could've lasted for weeks...

[ALLSEEINGEYE]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

A camel? or a camel toe?

[dcutman]

Sounds like one tuff dude, with some serious will power.

and the brain of an ant

Definitely wont disagree with you on that.

Most people I know from OZ have this infallible trait, that often gets them into some serious trouble.

[connda]

Better than ants surviving on a 62 year-old lost Australian man.

"Humm. Tasty. I've always been fond of these British transplants. Much more flavorful than the indigenous Aborigines."

[connda]

I'd walk 15 miles and eat ants for a Camel!

Filtered or unfiltered?

When the Camels Cigarette advertising slogan, "I'd walk a mile for a Camel", was famous there was no such thing as a filtered cigarette.

Should have been, "I'd walk a mile for a coffin nail."