16 Jul 2009

Backpacker survives 12 days lost in NSW Blue Mountains

12:08 am on 16 July 2009

A British backpacker has been found alive after 12 days lost in Australia's Blue Mountains.

On Monday, New South Wales police said there was little hope of finding Jamie Neale alive.

The 19-year-old had been missing since 3 July, when he went on a walk around a landmark known as Ruined Castle.

Two bushwalkers stumbled across him near the Narrow Neck Fire Trail, about 15km from Katoomba, on Wednesday morning.

He was brought to the Blue Mountains Hospital in a police car and walked into the hospital on his own. Police say he is fine apart from dehydration.

Mr Neale's father, Richard Cass, was reunited with his son at the hospital.

He had been in the area to help in the search, but he was at Sydney Airport about to board a flight out of the country when police called him to say his son was alive.