Mystery man found in desert
Emma Gumbleton
NEWS.com.au, Australia
_________________
Northern Territory Police are trying to piece together how a mystery man apparently survived up to three months lost in one of the most isolated places in Australia.
The 35-year-old man - believed to be from Queensland and calling himself Ricky Megee - was suffering from severe malnutrition and exposure when he was found at a remote cattle station near the West Australian border on April 4.
It is not known exactly how long the man, who claimed to have survived on frogs and lizards, had spent in the Outback. Workers at Birrindudu Station, which borders WA and the Tanami Desert, came across the emaciated man more than 50km from the homestead last Tuesday night.
"He was skeletal, he was really emaciated and when the boys found him he could only walk and fall and stumble. He was really weak."
Station manager Mark Clifford said the man had built a crude shelter into the side of a dam wall and had stretched out his T-shirt to provide shade. He said the man told workers he had experienced car problems on an isolated stretch of road and tried to walk to the homestead. No car has been found.
"The last date he can remember being on the road is the 23rd of January, so I think that works out to about 12 weeks," Mr Clifford said. "I guess he walked for a week or 10 days and so it could be up to 10 weeks he's just sat in that one place."
Apr 13, 2006
The Latest on Ricky >>>
Emma Gumbleton
NEWS.com.au, Australia
_________________
Northern Territory Police are trying to piece together how a mystery man apparently survived up to three months lost in one of the most isolated places in Australia.
The 35-year-old man - believed to be from Queensland and calling himself Ricky Megee - was suffering from severe malnutrition and exposure when he was found at a remote cattle station near the West Australian border on April 4.
It is not known exactly how long the man, who claimed to have survived on frogs and lizards, had spent in the Outback. Workers at Birrindudu Station, which borders WA and the Tanami Desert, came across the emaciated man more than 50km from the homestead last Tuesday night.
"He was skeletal, he was really emaciated and when the boys found him he could only walk and fall and stumble. He was really weak."
Station manager Mark Clifford said the man had built a crude shelter into the side of a dam wall and had stretched out his T-shirt to provide shade. He said the man told workers he had experienced car problems on an isolated stretch of road and tried to walk to the homestead. No car has been found.
"The last date he can remember being on the road is the 23rd of January, so I think that works out to about 12 weeks," Mr Clifford said. "I guess he walked for a week or 10 days and so it could be up to 10 weeks he's just sat in that one place."
Apr 13, 2006
The Latest on Ricky >>>
