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An Australian hiker said he had to crawl for two days through scrubland before he was rescued after falling six metres (20ft) down a waterfall, breaking his leg and wrist.
Neil Parker (54) said on Wednesday he was walking alone on Mount Nebo, 32km west of Brisbane, Queensland, when he fell.
“Straight away, I thought, ‘I’m now in a lot of trouble because no one knows where I am’,” Mr Parker told reporters from his hospital bed.
The experienced hiker said he tried to phone for help, but his mobile had been damaged in the fall.
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He decided to crawl about 3km to an area where he believed search-and-rescue workers would better be able to spot him.
Mr Parker said painkillers and protein bars he had packed for his hike had helped him survive the journey.
“I could only get a metre or a metre-and-a-half each time before I had to stop,” Mr Parker said. “What took me 40 minutes to walk up took me nearly two days to crawl back down.”
The hiker was eventually spotted by a rescue helicopter and winched out on Tuesday afternoon. – Reuters