Saved by bugs

From TODAY, World
Thursday July 31, 2008

SUR VIVING THE OUTBACK

Lost prospector ate termites to combat dehydration

SYDNEY — A former pest exterminator lost in the Australian desert for four days survived by eating termites and other insects, police said yesterday.

Gold prospector Theo Rosmulder, 52, from the southern state of Victoria, was suffering from dehydration but otherwise in “surprisingly good condition,” said Sergeant Graham Clifford of Western Australia state police. Mr Rosmulder was spotted by local Aborigines on Tuesday about 10 km from his camp.

The prospector, who once worked as a pest exterminator, told rescuers he staved off dehydration by eating insects and termites, which provided some moisture and protein.

“He kept eating what he used to kill,” Sgt Clifford said. “We were always confident we’d find him, but by the same token, four and a half days was starting to get a bit questionable.”

Mr Rosmulder had been searching for gold with his wife and a group of other prospectors about 130km north of Laverton, a mining town in Southwestern Australia. He became lost on Friday after heading out alone, Sgt Clifford said.

A massive search operation was launched at first light on Saturday, with dozens of searchers combing 200 sq km of the rocky terrain by land and air.

“The chap did say he saw planes on a number of occasions and waved items of clothing, but they didn’t attract attention,” Sgt Clifford said.

On Tuesday morning, members of a local Aboriginal community spotted Mr Rosmulder, who had hung onto his metal detector throughout the ordeal. They bumped into a rescue crew on the way back to camp.

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He kept eating what he used to kill.
Sergeant Graham Clifford on how former pest exterminator Theo Rosmulder kept himself alive
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Mr Rosmulder was treated at Laverton Hospital. He told officials he planned to continue his gold hunt and was in a remote desert area yesterday.

Mr Rosmulder’s light clothing offered little protection from the elements, but temperatures in the region were relatively mild for the Australian winter, ranging from 9 to 19°C, Sgt Clifford said.

Mr Rosmulder also conserved energy by spending the first two days in the same spot near an outcrop of rocks before trying to find his way back. AP