Miraculous Survival: Hiker Found in Pristine Condition After 14 Days Lost in the Mountains

Melbourne, Australia — A hiker endured two weeks subsisting on a couple of muesli bars, foraged fruits, and creek water while lost in a secluded mountainous region of Australia, as reported by authorities on Wednesday.

Hadi Nazari, a 23-year-old medical student hailing from Melbourne, vanished on December 26 when he parted ways with two hiking companions to capture photos in the Kosciuszko National Park situated in the Snowy Mountains of New South Wales.

He was located after he approached a group of hikers on Wednesday afternoon, informing them of his disorientation and thirst, Police Insp. Josh Broadfoot stated. Nazari had traversed over 6 miles across challenging and heavily forested terrain from his last known position.

A comprehensive land and air search operation was initiated the very day Nazari disappeared. Over 300 searchers participated in the effort.

He was reunited with his two hiking companions on Wednesday prior to being airlifted to a hospital for a medical evaluation, Broadfoot shared.

Nazari informed officers he had been “walking from dawn till dusk,” according to Broadfoot.

“He appears to be in good spirits: Incredible,” Broadfoot remarked to journalists.

“This marks the 14th day of our search for him. For him to emerge and be in such positive spirits and in such satisfactory condition is astonishing,” he continued.

“There are some creeks up there, and he mentioned he had been locating water where feasible and gathering food whenever possible, primarily berries. At a certain point, he revealed he stumbled upon a few muesli bars in a hut, but aside from that – 14 days with extremely limited sustenance,” Broadfoot stated.

Ambulance Insp. Adam Mower commented that Nazari only required hydration treatment.

“He’s in extraordinary shape for an individual who’s been unaccounted for so long,” Mower stated.

The national park encompasses Mount Kosciuszko, which is recognized as Australia’s tallest peak. Nevertheless, Australia is generally a flat continent, and the mountain rises only 7,310 feet above sea level.

The current climate conditions are pleasant during this Southern Hemisphere summer.

Searchers held a hopeful outlook that Nazari would be discovered alive. He was an adept hiker equipped with a tent. In the preceding days, searchers had uncovered his campfire, camera, and hiking poles, indicating that he had continued to traverse the area.