Stalker Found, Fit But Filthy

Press, Volume CV, Issue 31028, 6 April 1966, Page 1

Stalker Found, Fit But Filthy

(N Z. Press Association) INVERCARGILL... April 5.. Five days of wandering in the rugged, dense bush of the Lord’s river area on the south coast of Stewart Island and starvation for three of those days ended for Tony Christiansen, aged 30, when he was found by searchers in Misery Bay at 10.30 a.m. today. “I thought I was a bit of a bushman and that I knew the bush pretty well, but I’ve changed my mind after this lot. 1 spent a few years in the Australian bush, but it's nothing like thia,” Mr Christiansen said at Halfmoon Bav tonight. Mr Christiansen, a Dane, was filthy, with his clothes in tatters when he landed at Halfmoon Ray from the fishivy boat Clione about 4 p.m.

■ but after a bath and a shave I showed no sign of his ordeal.) apart from some deep scratches on his hands. Mr Christiansen owes his life to a 10s note, without which he could not have lit the fire that led to his discovery. “It really hurt me to set ’ fire to that note, but now I realise it was my salvation I had only one match, and if that had not lit my fire I probably would still be there,” he said. Mr Christiansen, a onetime crocodile hunter in Australia. became lost last Thursday after he left the fishing boat Tainui “for a couple of hours’ deerstalking." The search for him was accelerated yesterday after footprints were seen in the area. The Invercargill police dog Anchor, and 45 men took part in the search. ’ Mr Christensen had plenty) of matches but smoked through on the first day before he realised he was lost | Then he found be had only) four matches left At one stage, he fired sev-

leral rounds to try to attract (attention. Then he tried settime walks in each direction in an attempt to find the shore. On Thursday he slept under a wind-bent tree with a fire going beside him, a fire that cost one of his four remaining matches. Throughout Friday he roamed in the bush, trying to find his way by compass. He spent Friday night under another tree, using his j third-to-last match to try to keep himself warm. On Saturday, after hours of roaming in all directions. Mr Christiansen arrived at Misery Bay. He decided it was best to stay there. Until then he had been without food and slept beside a fire at Misery Bay on Saturday night before he had enough strength to search for) some. He found shellfish clinging; to rocks at low tide and gath-) ered dozens on Sunday morn-) ing. Some he gulped raw and others he cooked in a fire which he kept going in a hollow tree. Sunday night he slept’

among the charcoal and cinders to keep warm, and burnt a big hole in the back of his jacket. On Monday Mr Christiansen forced himself to eat 50 of the shellfish to build up stamina. He forced the last of them down, their salty taste making him thirsty.