Western Australia PoliceAn Australian man has been successfully found by police after surviving for six days in the desert without water and by eating ants.
Reginald Foggerdy ventured into the Great Victoria Desert whilst hunting with his brother, but the two became separated last Wednesday, sparking a massive police manhunt.
The 62-year-old was only wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and a pair of flip flops at the time he went missing, whilst being subjected to temperatures up to 32 degrees celcius (90 degrees Fahrenheit).
Police searched the vast landscape on foot and by air, also enlisting the help of Aboriginal trackers to navigate through the barren wilderness.
They kept the concerned public updated via their Twitter page.
This shooters shack was used as a command post for the search for Mr Foggerdy #polair #swaggingit pic.twitter.com/NwlFi24WIO
— WA Police (@WA_Police) October 13, 2015
It was the men on the ground who made the all important discovery of footprints left in the sand by Foggerdy. From these tracks police had a trail to follow directly to the dehydrated father.
Every contact leaves a trace.. this is one of Mr Foggerdy’s actual footprints that TRG Trackers used to find him. pic.twitter.com/Lq9k9Niv3a
— WA Police (@WA_Police) October 13, 2015
He was found on Tuesday 15 km away from his camp, taking shelter beneath the shade of a tree and in desperate need of water.
TRG were assisted by local Aboriginal Trackers to locate Mr Foggerdy. Wearing thongs added to degree of difficulty. pic.twitter.com/TwsbB9GH9D
— WA Police (@WA_Police) October 13, 2015
Police Superintendent Andy Greatwood revealed on the radio that without hydrating the hunter survived by eating as many black ants as he could.
He said:
His last couple of days of survival were achieved by lying down under a tree and eating black ants. That’s the level of survival that Mr. Foggerdy has gone to.”
Bear Grylls gross survival tips do come in handy then, good to know.
