Missing hiker "incredibly lucky"



Wednesday 22 February 2012

Missing hiker "incredibly lucky"

A 70 year-old man from Kuranda has emerged from thick rainforest after spending a night lost at Mt Lewis near Julatten.

The man was one of a party of four who were hiking in the area on Saturday, and he reportedly became lost at around 12.30pm when he separated from the group to take some photographs.

Mount Molloy Police Officer-in-Charge, Mick Lingard, said two officers used sirens which alerted the lost hiker to their presence at 8.30 Sunday morning.

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"He was very relieved given that it's very thick forest up there. It had been raining overnight, and he was 1231m above sea level where he was.

"He was wet and tired but very relieved and in surprisingly good health.

"The only reason he got located was that we'd been locating the police siren all morning at 15 minute intervals and once he heard that it lifted his spirits and he walked out toward the siren."

The man did not need medical attention despite his ordeal, sustaining just a few scratches.

"He was incredibly lucky," Officer Lingard said.