Published: December 22,2014
An Australian family was recovering in
a hospital Monday after 10 days of a terrifying ordeal in the
Australian wilderness. A father and his 5 and 7-year-old sons were
stranded in the wilderness for over a week with little food. They faced
varying weather conditions, from stormy to scorching.
The family was on a road trip when father Steven Van Lonkhuyzen took a wrong turn on December 11. His four-wheel-drive vehicle became bogged in mud in Expedition National Park, leaving them helpless. Farmer Tom Wagner searched for the missing family and found them, leading to their Sunday rescue.
Wagner described the state of the family members, "They were pretty hungry by the time I got to them and pretty happy to see me."
(MORE: Hundreds of Sea Turtles Are Washing Up on New England Shores)
He said the younger boy, Timothy, kept asking him if he had any eggs, while the older one, Ethan, appeared dehydrated. He said the father had given the limited food he had to his sons, who themselves had gone with little or nothing to eat for a week.
"Luckily it rained," he said. "Otherwise they would have perished."
Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Mick Bianchi says Van Lonkhuyzen had planned to drive from his home in Brisbane to Cairns using an inland route.
"Quite simply, he took a wrong turn," Bianchi said.
He said the boys were getting their strength back after their ordeal, during which temperatures rose to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The boys were both listed as being in a stable condition at the Taroom Hospital.
(MORE: 7 Hospitalized After Lightning Strike at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium)
Bianchi said the family had limited provisions, but luckily it was stormy at times and they were able to collect rainwater in a plastic container. He said the father had tried to attract attention by laying out high-visibility items around his vehicle and lighting fires. He said Van Lonkhuyzen made the right choice by staying with his vehicle.
"They were very trying conditions, and it would have tested the family's relationship," Bianchi said.
He said the father attempted to establish routines with his children and keep them occupied.
He said there was little or no cellphone reception in the park, so the trio hadn't been able to contact anybody. Bianchi said the boys' mother had raised the alarm when the trio didn't arrive at a friend's home in Cairns.
He said the national park is not usually visited at this time of year because of the extreme weather conditions.
MORE: Weather.com's Best Photos of 2014
The family was on a road trip when father Steven Van Lonkhuyzen took a wrong turn on December 11. His four-wheel-drive vehicle became bogged in mud in Expedition National Park, leaving them helpless. Farmer Tom Wagner searched for the missing family and found them, leading to their Sunday rescue.
Wagner described the state of the family members, "They were pretty hungry by the time I got to them and pretty happy to see me."
(MORE: Hundreds of Sea Turtles Are Washing Up on New England Shores)
He said the younger boy, Timothy, kept asking him if he had any eggs, while the older one, Ethan, appeared dehydrated. He said the father had given the limited food he had to his sons, who themselves had gone with little or nothing to eat for a week.
"Luckily it rained," he said. "Otherwise they would have perished."
Queensland Police Acting Superintendent Mick Bianchi says Van Lonkhuyzen had planned to drive from his home in Brisbane to Cairns using an inland route.
"Quite simply, he took a wrong turn," Bianchi said.
He said the boys were getting their strength back after their ordeal, during which temperatures rose to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. The boys were both listed as being in a stable condition at the Taroom Hospital.
(MORE: 7 Hospitalized After Lightning Strike at Tampa Bay's Raymond James Stadium)
Bianchi said the family had limited provisions, but luckily it was stormy at times and they were able to collect rainwater in a plastic container. He said the father had tried to attract attention by laying out high-visibility items around his vehicle and lighting fires. He said Van Lonkhuyzen made the right choice by staying with his vehicle.
"They were very trying conditions, and it would have tested the family's relationship," Bianchi said.
He said the father attempted to establish routines with his children and keep them occupied.
He said there was little or no cellphone reception in the park, so the trio hadn't been able to contact anybody. Bianchi said the boys' mother had raised the alarm when the trio didn't arrive at a friend's home in Cairns.
He said the national park is not usually visited at this time of year because of the extreme weather conditions.
MORE: Weather.com's Best Photos of 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment