A photographer who mysteriously vanished has revealed he crashed a luxury car searching for a shoot location in the wilderness before being bitten by a deadly snake and struggling through extreme temperatures.
Jon Baxter, a Gold Coast local, disappeared in early January sparking concerns and a mass search from family and emergency services.
The 26-year-old was scouting areas for an upcoming project in remote New South Wales when he lost control of his Audi, sending him in search of helping in 40 degree heat.
‘I was going around a corner and lost control. I didn’t roll or anything but I wrote my car off and I had no phone reception so I needed to find a house,’ Jon told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
Jon Baxter, a Gold Coast local, disappeared in early January sparking concerns and a mass search from family and emergency services
The 26-year-old was scouting areas for an upcoming project when he lost control of his Audi, sending him in search of helping in 40 degree heat
Jon, a Burleigh Heads resident, had told friends he was going for a haircut on January 9th. It turned out to be the last time for 48 hours anyone heard from him.
He had instead driven around 300 kilometres to Tenterfield in northern NSW, when his car spun out in an area with no phone reception.
‘I was thirsty. I’d been driving all day, looking at locations and then walking and at the time it was like 39C,’ Jon said.
‘I went into the bush to find water and found a creek, but the water turned out to be stagnant, so that started affecting me as well. I was doing my best to tap into my Bear Grylls skills but that didn’t really work.’
He decided to climb up a tree for safety, as darkness swept over the sky, and planned to continue his journey the next day.
Jon, a Burleigh Heads resident, had told friends he was going for a haircut on January 9th. It turned out to be the last time for 48 hours anyone had heard from him
It was Wednesday when things got particularly dire. A severely dehydrated Jon stumbled upon another creek, but while drinking from it he encountered an unwanted and potentially deadly creature.
‘That’s when I get bitten by the snake. I saw it was a red belly black snake. When it’s on your hand you can see it pretty good,’ he said.
‘I knew to stay calm and wrap it up to not let the poison go through my body, but I felt it (the venom) straight away go through my hands.
The snake bit him on his pinky finger, so he was able to use the draw string from his pants to subdue the venom.
Jon’s photography company Jaen Collective posted an image of their founder on January 11, confirming he had been found and was recovering in hospital
Time was now a real concern as Jon’s health worsened. He noticed a nearby paddock with cows grazing and thought he could get someone’s attention if he spooked them.
‘I spotted a farmer who was doing excavating. I see him come through the field and he called for help,’ he said.
‘Another two farmers came out and they took me to an airlifting spot and I got flown out to Lismore Hospital.’
Jon’s photography company Jaen Collective posted an image of their founder on January 11, confirming he had been found and was recovering in hospital.
‘*ATTENTION* Jon Baxter HAS BEEN FOUND! Thank you to everyone that has helped us during this time. MUCH LOVE ❤️’ the post read.
He says he has been ‘humbled’ by the concern the public showed for his safety and has written back to everyone who wished him well.