Korean student Joohee Han, 25, (pictured) was found after she became lost on a walk at Mount Tyson in far north Queensland
A friend of a Korean bushwalker who was rescued on Thursday after getting lost in rugged bushland for six days has credited the tourist’s survival on her ‘garden gnome’ physique.
Scottish farm worker Craig Strathie alerted authorities on Wednesday after he became concerned when Joohee Han, 25, didn’t return to the backpacker’s hostel where they were both staying in far north Queensland.
Ms Han, who told a friend on June 1 she was on a bush walk at Mount Tyson, became lost and disorientated before falling down a rock into a 20metre gorge.
She survived for six days on the mountain without food and was forced to drink water from a rockface.
The 25-year-old was airlifted to safety on Thursday after she waved down emergency crews.
‘She’s built like a garden gnome, she’s only a wee lass..she’s very fit, a long distance runner, and I think that’s what got her through,’ Mr Strathie said.
Ms Han had been working on a banana farm in the town of Tully for two months, but none of her friends at the hostel realised what had happened until much later, the ABC reported.
It was only when fellow worker Kirsty McLachlan contacted police after Ms Han failed to show up for work over two days, that anyone realised she was missing.
Craig Strathie, a friend of Ms Han, (pictured) said it was her ‘garden gnome’ physique and fitness that allowed her to survive. Emergency services airlifted Ms Han to safety
In an interview, Mr Strathie (pictured) gestured with his hand, saying: ‘Honestly, she’s about this high … and for that wee lassie … she actually waved them down apparently’
‘I’ve climbed that thing three times. Two with a group and one myself, and after I did it myself I said I’d never be going back up again,’ the Scottish tourist said.
During the interview, Mr Strathie gestured with his hand, saying: ‘Honestly, she’s about this high…and for that wee lassie…she actually waved them down apparently.’
After Mr Strathie alerted authorities, an extensive search involving police, 20 SES volunteers, Defence and National Parks and Wildlife crews and two helicopters was launched on Wednesday.
‘After six days with the helicopter going round … I was hoping for the best but was preparing for the worst,’ Mr Strathie said.
‘She’s a really good lass … She’s very fortunate and very lucky as to how she’s actually managed to get back in one piece.
‘It’s almost a miracle.’
Ms Han, a banana farm worker on a working holiday visa, told rescuers she lived on ‘freshwater and hope’ and ‘was sobbing with joy when we found her,’ Army tracker Sergeant Darren Blair, of Tully’s Jungle Warfare Training Centre told The Courier-Mail.
An extensive search involving police, 20 SES volunteers, Defence and National Parks and Wildlife crews and two helicopters was launched on Wednesday
Ms Han, (pictured) a banana farm worker on a working holiday visa, told rescuers she lived on ‘freshwater and hope’ and ‘was sobbing with joy when we found her’
‘She was making a lot of noise, but was in good spirits and had only minor injuries’.
Ms Han said she fell and lost consciousness for about four to five hours after taking a photo from the top of the mountain.
When she regained consciousness, she wandered through the thick bushland trying to find a way to escape.
When emergency services found her, they were unable to reach her on the ground due to the terrain and airlifted her to safety.
Ms Han told a friend she was on a bushwalk and took a photo at the top of the mountain, (pictured) moments before she fell and lost consciousness