Stranded in the Outback: Stuck Fast in Mud

23:29Realizing that they need a change of tactic, the foursome use a small toolkit to start taking apart the old barge nearby. They drag rusty poles and pieces of scrap metal over to their bogged car, along with rocks, tree branches, and anything else they can wedge beneath its tyres. Basically, the strategy was we would try and find anything that would hold weight and get it under the tyres so it wouldn't sink, sort of spread the weight of the wheel out. The tyre would jump onto it, but because the mud was so thick and slushy, every time it got on the log or the rock or the steel, it would just push it down into the dirt, into the slush.

24:06As the day drags on and the temperature continues to rise, the situation begins to look dire. They now have virtually no food or water left, and although they try occasionally to pick up a signal on their radio, they're so far from civilization that it's no use. However, they do seem to have a shred of luck on their side. Two or three miles away, what appears to be a large black water tank is just about visible in the distance. it's likely a container used to store water for the vast cattle paddock strewn across the outback and if it is right now it could be a lifesaver it's probably why we didn't really feel stressed they talk about water because we saw the tank and we thought ah we walked over there even though we got no water we had this belief that we'd find some water and that was sort of the backup when we run out of water we'll just go over and walk up there assured in the belief that should they failed to extract the car today they can at least replenish their water supplies at the tank the group doggedly continues their work on the vehicle they grapple with the tires sweat running down their backs the smudgy mud smearing their arms and legs and their discomforts don't end there there's moments where the flies are that bad you have to wear a fly hood so it's basically a mesh hood that goes over your head where you can walk around in the day and not have your eyes and nose and ears on part of its flies.

25:32And those flies are really small flies. And they're trying to get into your body. They're trying to get into your eyes, sockets, into your nose, into your ears, into your mouth. They're trying to actively enter you. And it's disgusting. When the heat eventually becomes too intense, Brendan and his companions are forced to retreat to the shade to try and rest as best they can. But even that proves to be difficult. You're laying down, you just want to rest. You can't because there's flies all over you, so the flywood goes on. And then when the flywood's on, they're still on the hood. They're still on that's mesh material trying to get at you.

26:02It's very uncomfortable. So it's relentless. In the late afternoon when you've been happy with the flies all day, you really look forward to night when they all go away. You really start counting the clock, counting the hours down before sunset when you know they're not going to be there. However, as the hours pass, the irritation of the flies gives way to an even greater concern, the issue of water. When efforts to extricate the car still yield no results, it's agreed that the two women will walk to the water tank to replenish supplies. Meanwhile, exhausted and parched, Brendan and Matt continue their attempts to free the car.

26:42As they work, they become increasingly covered in the fetid mud, but the prospect of rinsing themselves off and quenching their thirst is enough to spur them on. Yet when the two women finally return, their faces are grim The girls came back and they're like, there's no water, the tank was broken, it's been broken for years Like, ah, that dread sort of saying that, you know, what we thought was a sense of relief, of option, was not what we thought it was It's a soul-crushing blow They now have just a few mouthfuls of water left each, and no hope of replenishing their supplies Having already spent hours trying to free the car In the furnace-like heat of the outback Their priorities now shift The focus turns to finding a way of surviving the next few days Matt, who I was with as an engineer Once you dug a hole, there was quite a lot of water in the hole But it was hyper saline, like dangerously saline He'd made a steel out of a Jim Beam bottle in a pipe And he was trying to boil the water and steam it and go through it It was working, but it was not enough for us to survive on.

27:48Matt works hard to purify the saline water, but all of his efforts bring meagre results. Extracting the car from the creek bed now takes on a new level of urgency. But as evening sets in again, it becomes clear they'll have to spend another night in the outback. We'd been in the mud all day, two days, and we were filthy. We had no water to wash ourselves with, and it was baking to our skin. We couldn't get it off, and the girls were helping us rub it off with towels I was all peeling off and it was ripping our skin. I remember all that feeling of like, I'm covered. I'm literally caked in this horrible mud and I've got to sleep.

28:20And that was a challenge as well. So by the end of day two, we really realised that this wasn't the usual situation that we've got ourselves out of many times before. Yeah, we were really in it.

28:33In camp that night, the mood is sombre. The group has just a few apples and muesli bars left and their clean water supplies are now completely exhausted. Beneath the star-strewn sky, with the howls of distant dingoes echoing in their ears, they begin assessing their options. Hopefully, when they fail to show up at work, their colleagues will raise the alarm. But nobody knows exactly where they are, so there's no telling how long it might take for a rescue mission to find them, if it ever does. In the enormity of the outback, they are just one tiny speck. And with the main road over 12 miles away, the chances of a passing car stumbling on them are basically non-existent.

29:20I remember sitting around the camp that night, covered in mud, and the fun of the conversation had gone, and we were really focused on what next, what if, what's plan B, who's coming to get us, what's going to trigger them to come and get us. I'd say by that end of the second day, the stress had set in, and the conversation moved from enjoying it against other's company to being about survival. What are the things we need to do now to preserve ourselves for the next day? What's the critical decisions we need to make to get ourselves out of here? They don't reach any conclusion that night. Tired, thirsty and covered in dried mud, they retreat into their tents and do their best to get some rest.

30:03Come morning, the gravity of the situation can't be denied any longer. The next day, we realise we weren't going to get in. And we sort of stopped doing anything and thinking, like, what are we going to do? It becomes clear they only have two options, and both are deeply unappealing. They can wait and hope that rescue comes to them, or they can attempt to walk out and find help. One of the biggest messages when you're in the outback is never leave your car. If there's a search mission for you, most people that are dead in the outback are not near their car. they find the car because you know cars are much easier to find from the sky if you look at you know australian outback fatalities often the people have left the car so one of the things that people always say is stay with your car if we know your loss we'll look from the sky with a small aircraft and find your car we won't find you in the outback but we'll find your car so that was in our minds as well thinking like well we shouldn't leave the car you know we know the road is 20 kilometers away we know that that road is very unused what do we do we can't just sit here are wiped.

31:14Whatever they choose, the odds are not in their favor. Eventually, the group decide that if come evening nobody has appeared to rescue them, they will split up. Brendan and Mel will walk back to the Birdsville track and hope they can flag down one of the rare passing motorists. Meanwhile, their friends will remain with the bogged car in case help does eventually come. That was pretty scary, knowing that we decided that the best course of action was someone to stay with the car and others to walk back to the road. So we came to that conclusion while sitting around in the morning, decided that if we can't walk out, it's 40 degrees, it's 20 k's, we've got no water, there'll be the end of us.

31:54So we decided we'll just lay low, lay in the shade, take it easy, and then thought to ourselves, yeah, tonight we'll walk out. We prepared ourselves to walk out that night. Throughout the day, Brendan and Mel try to conserve energy All the while clinging to the faint hope that rescue might still come to them But as the skies darken and another day fades, it's obvious that isn't going to happen In the dead of night, with the temperature lower, they bid farewell to their friends And set out on the long, dark walk back to the road It was the middle of the night and we were in the hour back of Australia You know, there's dingoes around campsite.

32:33We heard dingoes that night while we were walking. It's a terrifying thing to have dingoes near you howling and probably following you. The rust in the bushes at night, a lot of animals in Australia are all nocturnal, so there's lots of things that scurry across the path and scare the lights out of you. And it's an intimidating place, even though I'm experiencing that space. You know, it still is. You're walking out of a stressful situation, through a stressful situation, to the unknown. I remember that feeling of, yeah, we've got to make this walk.

33:04This August, on the Noiser Podcast Network, Jane Austen Stories returns. This time, Dame Julie Andrews will be reading another beloved classic, Emma. Step into the village of Highbury, home to the handsome and clever Emma Woodhouse. Witness the delicate art of matchmaking, where appearances can deceive, and true affections are not always easily guessed. On Short History Off, we're herring around the world with the groundbreaking journalist Nellie Bly and grappling with the surreal with Salvador Dali. On Real Survival Stories, we're in the shark-filled waters off the coast of Florida and trundling down the Birdsville track deep in the Australian bush.

33:43And in Sherlock Holmes' short stories, Holmes investigates the disappearance of a missing star rugby player in The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter. Get all of these shows and more early and ad-free on Noiser Plus

34:01Dimly lit in the eerie glow of the moon Brendan and Mel trudge forwards A track unfurling before them like a white ribbon It's a distance of over 12 miles It's a huge task Particularly after several days of hard work with little sustenance The couple will have to rely on past experience to help get them through We've walked quite a lot, done some pretty big walks in our time So we both thought we could walk that far That's probably why we chose to go, is that we used to walk quite a lot We've always had dogs, reactive dogs So we've experienced walking 10km on a Sunday morning for fun That was pretty normal for us Nevertheless, being surrounded by the haunting song of the dingoes And the unnerving rustles of the undergrowth is undeniably disturbing Trying to keep their worries at bay The couple take comfort in each other's company And the prospect of securing rescue for themselves And their two friends back at camp Reassuring each other, providing each other comfort When we get there, we'll be fine Someone will come past Those kind of discussions Someone will find us, they'll have water We're in the middle of the outback Everyone's going to have water and food in their car Hopefully someone's got a can of coke or something delicious in their car So that was the mood of the conversation along the way It was keeping others in good spirits and getting the job done.

35:20After several hours, the stars start to fade and Brendan and Mel reach the roadside just as the sun is rising, staining the sky with streaks of pink and orange. I remember, you know, turning around and taking a few moments and thinking, oh, there's that beautiful sunrise. We got there and on the side of the road, it started to wipe already. So we found a spot under some trees and basically were pretty exhausted and just sat down. I remember we had an apple and a little small pool of water and trying to make it last. In the three days it took them to drive up the Birdsville track, the group encountered only a handful of other cars.

35:56It could be hours or perhaps days before someone comes. There is little Brendan and Mel can do in the meantime but sit beneath the trees and wait. As the sun gathers strength and the temperature increases, they both begin to feel the effects of exhaustion and dehydration. The hours pass in a fuzzy blur. And then, sometime in the mid-morning, Brendan and Mel are roused by sound. An engine. Here comes the car, and we didn't really make a big effort to wave it down. We just thought they would naturally stop. We were just standing on the side of the road, and we were in the middle of nowhere, we were pretty disheveled.

36:38So we sort of just, like, got up and we were just sort of standing by us on the road and sort of our hands up and, like, hey, car. They moved it like the car sort of slowed down, looked at us and just went, whoosh, straight past. And the heartbreak of that moment, like, just like the gobsmacked moment of what? What happened? Like, why did they not stop? Like, we are clearly out of sorts. The car speeds off into the distance and within seconds it's disappeared. it. Brendan and Mel stare at each other in shocked, horrified silence, their chance of rescue gone. Initially, they are bewildered, but then a possible explanation comes to them.

37:18So Australia has a long history of hitchhikers and people traveling freely through the country, but has some pretty damning history in relation to those types of people using that space as well. There's been a number of serial killers who targeted hitchhikers and backpackers across the country, which has led to the Wolf Creek series of movies. A whole range of stories and struggles and fatalities of people in the outback who have met or come across people who are undesirable and who have taken advantage of them. There is a real sense, particularly for people from the big cities travelling in the outback, of who are you going to come across?

37:55This is a dangerous place. It's a troubling realisation There is no telling whether Brendan and Mel will even see another car today And if they do, there's evidently no guarantee that it will stop We've probably passed half a dozen cars in days of travel on that track It's not like it's the state highway where cars are travelling back and forth all the time Can we make it all day? Can we sit here all day and actually make it?

38:25Weakened by lack of food and water, and exhausted after their long nocturnal walk, lethargy begins to steal over the couple. They drag some tree branches and an old sign onto the road, in the hopes that, should they fall asleep, the obstacles will slow any passing vehicles, giving them a chance to wake up and ask for help. After that, they retreat to the shade of the trees and wait. With the sun blazing overhead, they lean back against the rough bark and close their eyes. Ravaged by the hardships of the last few days, it isn't long before both of them start to drift.

39:09It's a few hours later. Brendan and Mel lie slumped in the shade of a gnarled old tree, Their bodies weary. Their minds hazy. The sun burns mercilessly overhead, beating down on the long, empty road. Suddenly, something jerks the couple back to full consciousness. I remember the urgency of the second car turning up hours later. It was like quite a real moment, but it was like this real instant, urgent rush. No car, I can't see the car. Go, go, go, go, go. We were jumping out the middle of the road, waving, waving, like being frantic, and ended this car stopping, and it was a couple from Sydney.

39:47The car grinds to a halt and the people inside crack the window open, their faces tense and wary. Desperately, Brendan and Mel explain their predicament and beg to be allowed into the vehicle. But the couple inside refuse. Like the passengers in the previous car, they too are concerned about these haggard strangers and their incredulous tale. However, after some argument, a compromise is eventually reached. The couple from Sydney will go and investigate Brendan and Mel's bogged car, then return to them. After handing over some bottles of water, they drive off, leaving the couple alone once again.

40:35Finally, after a couple of hours, they hear the blessed sound of not just one engine, but two. It seems their rescuers have not only found their friends and the car, but they've been able to tow the stranded vehicle out of the creek bed. The relief of hearing the cars coming, and you could definitely hear it was two cars coming, and seeing their car lead out our car, which was covered in mud, and it had been pulled out of the mud. The sense of relief and joy, and then, and celebration then, because then obviously they realized we're really stuck, realized that we were good people, and we were genuine, and we sat for quite a while, and they fed us some food, and gave us some water, and we sat on the road and joked and laughed and enjoyed each other's company and then went away.

41:15After saying a grateful goodbye to their rescuers, Brendan, Mel and their friends have just one thing they want to do. They drive to a pub a few hours away and sit down to enjoy a large meal and some cold drinks, whilst regaling the bartender with the story of their brush with death. Telling the story, having a laugh and having to get to the ear that realised we were safe, you know, we'd made it. And then getting back in the car and driving the last three hours, So over the last stretch after the sort of the celebration that we've gotten out of here, the last three hours home was quiet silence.

41:47It was just get home, get done.

41:53When they finally arrive back in Rocksby Downs, they're shocked to learn that nobody has raised the alarm about their disappearance because nobody knew what their plans had been. For Brendan, it's a sobering discovery and teaches him a valuable lesson. The things we took away from that is my wife and I habitually now tell each other where we're going. So I still spend a lot of time in the bush and I'll routinely, without fault, last text I'll send her is, I am here, I am going here, I expect to be out at this time. Here's the closest point of contact. Here's where the car could be. All those details that I expect to be out in three days.

42:33So that real clear message is, if I'm not back by Monday or whatever day it is, that's the point of failure. So really making sure that your loved ones, someone in your household, someone in your family knows what your plan is. And if you're not back, that's the point of action. And that isn't the only safety precaution he now takes as a result of his experience in the outback. I very rarely go in running environments on my own. It's always two cars. Always take two cars. even if it's just you and your friend, take two cars because if one gets stuck, your chances of two cars is far better so you should really never travel in a single convoy in a dangerous situation and that was the biggest lesson to be learned

43:15Now married and living in New Zealand with their two sons, Brendan and Mel continue to enjoy their outdoor pursuits as a family When I'm adventuring in New Zealand or in Australia, I'm much more cautious about the situation and the scenario I put myself in with my boys. I've been caught out a few times in the past where you think you're okay and you're not. So I'd say I'm much more reserved now around the level of risk when I'm in the outback or in any sort of wild place. I'm much more conservative about the risk judgment of the scenario. More than a decade on from being stranded in the outback, Brendan puts their survival down to their ability to remain calm in difficult circumstances, to make logical, rational decisions.

44:05This ability to keep his cool and tackle problems step by step once helped to save his life, and now he is passing that lesson down the generations, alongside his continued love for adventure and wild places. I think that trust in yourself, that trust in your decision making and that ability to control your emotions and not let fear overcome your rational thinking is critical for any survival scenario you're in. that ability just to breathe and say okay we're in strife what do i need to do that that logical thinking with a calm mind is really important i think that's probably what got us through in a logical way to get out and to sort of test all the options to getting out prior to the walk and the success of the roadside was about you know putting one foot in front of the other and just thinking about logically and something i say my boys all the time now how do you eat the elephant you know, one mind at a time, just think about it in a very step-by-step manner.

45:20Next time on Real Survival Stories, catastrophe unfolds on one of the deadliest mountains on earth, the mighty K2. In the summer of 2008, Dutch climber Wilco van Rooyen is leading an expedition up the world's second tallest mountain. But after a successful ascent to the summit, the journey down spirals into chaos, when a massive icefall leaves the climbers stranded without fixed ropes. Wilco and his teammates will find themselves trapped at extreme life-sapping altitude in an area known as the death zone. There is a limitation for every human being because we can't survive at eight kilometers height.

45:59There is a lack of oxygen, you will die. The only question is, what kind of period can you survive? Time is running out, and soon it won't just be the dizzying altitude that Wilco is contending with. When a hasty decision robs him of one of his senses, he will be forced to make a drastic, death-defying choice. That's next time on Real Survival Stories. Listen today without waiting and without ads by joining Noisa Plus. Best thing that's ever happened to you financially. Go. Easy. Sold my car on Carvana. Amazing offer. Really? I hit 200 on the scratcher. Did the scratcher come to your house and hand you a check?

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