A mother and son who were lost in the Australian bush for ten days have described how they imitated television star Bear Grylls to survive.
Michelle Pittman, 40, and her son Dylan, nine, went bush walking in the NSW Hunter Valley on October 2 but the two-hour adventure turned into a ten-day nightmare where they were exposed to the elements as well as snakes and spiders.
And police say if it wasn’t for Bear Grylls’ popular bush survival show the young boy and his mother may not have survived, the Daily Telegraph reports.
‘They licked the moisture off plants to help keep hydrated. There were dried up creek beds where they sourced water by digging,’ Hunter Valley Acting Superintendent Rob Post said.
Mother Michelle Pittman (pictured) went missing in the Mount Royal National Park with her nine-year-old son 10 days ago
Son Dylan was also found when the pair made it to the side of Mount Royal Road
The mother and son managed to survive after recalling advice learnt from Bear Grylls – including how to find water on plants
‘It’s quite amazing the way they’ve managed to gather water, they made reference to Bear Grylls.’
The pair also dug through a dry creek to reach water.
Ms Pittman, who is expected to stay in hospital for a few days after suffering from exposure, also told police they had come across a snake on their mi-adventure.
When the pair emerged from the rough terrain of the Mount Royal National Park, they were dehydrated, covered in insect bites – and they had replaced their shoes with reeds, 7 News reported.
‘The body does some strange things when put into stressful situations,’ NSW Ambulance Inspector Steenson said.
The pair survived off water from a nearby rock pool and were found in good condition, but dehydrated and covered in insect bites
‘It’s quite amazing the way they’ve managed to gather water, they made reference to Bear Grylls,’ police said
A poster which had circulated during the 10 days the duo were missing
The mother and son cupped water from a nearby rock pool with leaves, and tied grass around trees to mark their place.
They were reported missing by family members on October 4 when they failed to return and a large-scale search was launched on Monday, when their car was found .
Police, SES, paramedics and National Parks and Wildlife rangers all lent a hand in the desperate quest to find the mother and child.
Trying to make their way out of the dense bush land in Mount Royal National Park (pictured), the mother and son cupped water out of a rock pool with leaves and tied grass to trees to mark their place
NSW Police Inspector Joanne Schultz told 7 News the pair were found in good condition.
‘They’re both very well, obviously very relieved, very hungry but otherwise they’re quite good,’ she said.
Michelle and Dylan have been taken to Singleton Hospital to receive treatment for dehydration and insect bites.
The pair were picked up on Mount Royal Road (pictured) by police after a large scale search lasting three days