Woman Found After Miraculously Surviving 17 Days Lost In The Australian Bush

“It’s Biggest Loser meets Bear Grylls,” her brother said.

By
Richard James
by Richard James

BuzzFeed News Reporter, UK

Mother-of-three Shannon Leah Fraser is recovering in hospital after spending over two weeks lost in the bush in northern Queensland.

Queensland police

The 30-year-old had gone to the Golden Hole swimming spot, south of Cairns, with her fiancé and another man when she went missing on September 21.

The men raised the alarm when Fraser failed to return to their vehicle. The BBC said a team of 25 officers then combed the area around the pond for two weeks.

When she reappeared on Wednesday morning, apparently just 30 metres from where she went missing, Fraser was severely sunburnt and dehydrated. She is now receiving treatment for infected cuts she sustained during the ordeal.

Queensland police

Her brother Dylan told ABC: “She must have taken a wrong turn, and got lost.”

Details on how Fraser managed to survive for so long without food remain sketchy.

Her mother, Deidre Sharrock, reportedly told the Courier Mail she had caught small fish and insects, while her brother said she lived on nothing but fresh water.

It is also claimed Fraser laid in a river for three days after her sunburn became so intense.

She eventually managed to walk out of the bush by following coloured markers left by the search teams.

Queensland police

When she reappeared, she had reportedly lost 2st 7lb.

"It's Biggest Loser meets Bear Grylls,'' Dylan told the Courier Mail.

"She's lost lots of weight, she's covered in cuts and scratches, but she's in good spirits."

Dylan told ABC he remains confused as to what actually happened to his sister. "I honestly didn't know what to believe, there were so many stories flying around, the police didn't have much of a lead."

Officers said they are hoping to speak with Fraser in the coming days.

Country patrol group inspector Rhys Newton told reporters: "We are yet to speak to Shannon and if her movements have gone out of what we would reasonably expect a person who's lost in those circumstances, if she's moved out of that area, quite possibly she may have been in another area, then that is the importance of us wanting to debrief her about that."

Fraser reportedly proposed to her boyfriend, Heath Cassady, just before she went missing.

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