Bushwalker Wounded: Neil in a Haystack

Summary

Real Survival Stories – Bushwalker Wounded: Neil in a Haystack (Feb 5, 2026)

Host: John Hopkins
Guest: Neil Parker
Setting: Mount Nebo, Southeast Queensland, Australia

---

Episode Overview

This episode of Real Survival Stories takes listeners into the harrowing journey of Neil Parker, an experienced bushwalker who endures a devastating fall while hiking solo in the Australian wilderness. With a shattered ankle, a broken wrist, and no way to call for help, Neil must crawl through treacherous terrain, battling both the elements and his own self-doubt, in a desperate bid for survival. The episode explores themes of resilience, mental health, and the drive to reunite with loved ones against all odds.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Setting the Scene: A Routine Hike Turns Tragic

• [01:33-04:40]: Early spring in lush Mount Nebo. Neil, 54, sets out for a familiar hike, careful and well-prepared, but missing one crucial item—a personal locator beacon (PLB) after a recent divorce.
  • Quote: “I would normally carry a PLB... but when we split up, the PLB was the wife’s... I was meant to buy another one.” — Neil Parker [07:50]

2. A Life-Altering Fall

• [03:43-05:44]: Neil attempts a routine scramble but slips on desiccated algae, tumbling 20 feet into a rocky plunge pool.
  • Quote: “I looked straight away down that curved rock face... and I just thought this is going to be bad, Neil. You are going to be seriously injured when you land.” — Neil Parker [04:18]
  • Quote: “I lifted my leg up out of the water and my foot fell off the end of my leg. Just drooped off the end of my leg.” — Neil Parker [23:57]

3. Immediate Aftermath: Survival Instincts Kick In

• [05:44-09:42]: With his ankle snapped and wrist injured, Neil splints his leg using bushcraft skills, but drops his phone into the stream, leaving him utterly stranded.
  • Quote: “Now it’s like this is no longer a bad day, Neil. This is now life and death.” — Neil Parker [26:12]

4. Neil’s Backstory: From Tough Childhood to Mentally Strong Bushwalker

• [09:42-14:53]: Neil reflects on a rough upbringing, overcoming depression, addiction, and estrangement from his kids. Nature and bushwalking are his therapy and salvation.
  • Quote: “Being outdoors for me has always been the place that’s recharged my batteries and made me feel alive.” — Neil Parker [10:55]
  • Quote: “It’s pretty much what saved my life in 2012... it gave me renewed purpose to live...” — Neil Parker [13:27]

5. The Crawl: Pain, Predators, and Psychological Struggles

• [30:10-35:43]: Forced to crawl six hundred punishing meters back to a clearing, Neil endures long hours, venomous reptiles, and even a curious goanna.
  • Quote: “I would lean on my left elbow... and just pull myself along the rocks.” — Neil Parker [30:10]
  • Quote: “They will eat keratin, they’ll eat rotten meat... I’m thinking now this is a problem.” — Neil Parker [33:15]

6. Long Night and Dawning Determination

• [35:24-38:09]: Neil spends a cold, sleepless night on the rocks, wrestling with fears of dying alone and thoughts of his children spurring him forward.
  • Quote: “There’s no way I want them to think that I’ve gone and abandoned them again... I thought I gotta get out of here.” — Neil Parker [38:09]

7. Hallucinations and Relentless Effort

• [39:13-41:11]: Neil mistakes cooing pigeons for rescuers and fights off crushing disappointment.
  • Quote: “It turned out to be wampu pigeons... I was dreaming that I was hearing people... but it was just a local pigeon.” — Neil Parker [39:48]

8. Hope and Rescue

• [41:21-47:09]: After two days of crawling, Neil finally reaches the key junction clearing. As hope starts to fail, he hears and then sees a rescue helicopter.
  • Quote: “It was just like they found me. I’m going to be rescued. So, great joy and relief at knowing that I’ve been found.” — Neil Parker [46:46]
  • Quote: “Because I’m talking to you—I should be dead. ...I was just so happy to be alive.” — Neil Parker [47:30]

9. Aftermath: Trauma, Gratitude, and Philosophy

• [47:57-51:46]: Neil’s rescue triggers a wave of relief for his family. In hospital, medics discover extensive damage—crushed vertebrae on top of his obvious injuries. Recovery is slow but fueled by determination.
  • Quote: “I just wanted to get out of that hospital bed and out of that hospital room... I’m not the kind of person that likes to sit and wait.” — Neil Parker [50:44]
  • Quote: “You can choose to be happy or you can choose to dwell on negativity. I’ve been a victim, but I don’t choose to be a victim. I choose to be a survivor.” — Neil Parker [51:46]

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the slip:

  “I looked down, I saw my left foot sliding... I looked up to find something to grab and there was nothing.” — Neil Parker [03:43]

• On survival instinct:

  “If you’re alive when you hit the bottom, you need to start swimming. ...you’re gonna go into shock. You gotta do what you gotta do as soon as you hit that water.” — Neil Parker [21:29]

• On the brutal reality:

  “Nobody knows where I am. I haven’t told anybody. ...this is now life and death.” — Neil Parker [26:12]

• On existential resolve:

  “I knew then that if I didn’t do something, I’d just be found here as a sack of bones by somebody in the future.” — Neil Parker [29:15]

• On philosophy post-rescue:

  “Just enjoy what you’re doing, don’t worry about what might happen next year... Live in the moment and appreciate what you’re doing now. ... I don’t choose to be a victim. I choose to be a survivor.” — Neil Parker [51:46]

---

Important Timestamps

| Time | Segment | Key Moments / Quotes | |-------------|-------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------| | 01:33–04:40 | Introduction, hike setup, initial fall | Neil’s missing PLB, accident begins | | 05:44–09:42 | Neil’s physical state, self-rescue begins | Phone ruined, isolation sets in | | 09:42–14:53 | Backstory: childhood & healing | Insights on recovery & mental health | | 17:22–19:25 | Day of the hike begins | Description of terrain and route | | 21:29–23:57 | The fall and injuries | “If you’re alive... start swimming.” | | 29:15–35:43 | Crawl for survival | Encounters with predators and exhaustion | | 39:13–41:11 | Hallucinations, false hope | Thinking pigeon calls are rescuers | | 41:21–47:09 | Rescue and relief | Helicopter sighting, emotions upon rescue | | 47:57–51:46 | Hospital, recovery, life lessons | Healthcare reaction, determination to survive |

---

Tone & Atmosphere

The episode’s tone deftly balances clinical detail and raw emotion, letting Neil’s firsthand narration shine through with Australian pragmatism and understated humor, even in dark moments. The host, John Hopkins, guides listeners with clear-eyed empathy and respect for Neil’s ordeal and resilience.

---

Summary Takeaway

Neil Parker’s ordeal is a testament to endurance and resourcefulness in the face of overwhelming odds. Driven by the need to reconnect with his children and not “abandon them again,” Neil’s epic crawl through the Queensland wilderness is more than a survival tale—it’s a profound reflection on healing, family, and the choice to be a survivor rather than a victim.

---

For Listeners Who Haven't Tuned In

This gripping episode masterfully blends technical survival detail, psychological insight, and an uplifting human story. With vivid narration and honest, moving firsthand accounts, it’s essential listening for anyone interested in the real nature of survival—mental and physical—in the wild.

Transcript

[CarGurus Advertiser]

With Cargurus Discover, you can skip the.

[Narrator]

Filters and describe what you're looking for.

[CarGurus Advertiser]

In your own words.

[Narrator]

Simply type what you want, and Cargurus Discover instantly surfaces real listings that match your exact needs. It's no wonder CarGurus is the 1.

[CarGurus Advertiser]

Most visited car shopping site, according to.

[Narrator]

SimilarWeb's estimated traffic data. Buy or sell your next car today.

[CarGurus Advertiser]

With [e-mail] Go to CarGurus.com to make.

[CarGurus Announcer]

Sure your big deal is the best deal.

[Narrator]

That's C A R G U R.

[Rocket Money User]

U S.comCarGurus.com the number one resolution for people last year was to save more money, but nearly half gave up by February. Don't let that be you. Download Rocket Money to reach your financial goals this year, track your spending, cut waste and automate savings in one simple app. Rocket Money shows you all your expenses and categorizes them so you know exactly where your money's going and where you're overspending. From there, the app cuts waste by canceling your unused subscriptions and lowering your bills. No customer service needed. With that money freed up, the app will automatically set some cash aside for your goals. Whether it's an emergency fund, paying off debt or saving for vacation, Rocket Money's got you covered. Users love the app, with over 186,000 five star ratings, and on average, users can save up to $740 a year when using all the app's premium features make saving money a priority this year. Go to RocketMoney.com Cancel to get started, that's RocketMoney.com Cancel RocketMoney.com Canc.

[Narrator]

Sunday, September 15, 2019 it's early spring in southeast Queensland, Australia, and the forested slopes around Mount Nebo flourish with new life. Wild orchids and hibiscus flowers sprout through the undergrowth, dazzling brushstrokes of pink and yellow against the rich green canvas. High in the canopy, cockatoos and koalas lounge among the branches of the gum trees, which sway softly in the warm breeze. Meandering through the heart of the forest, a creek tumbles downhill over a staircase of large moss dappled boulders. Periodically, the water plunges over spectacular drops, collecting in dark circular pools fringed by giant ferns. Making his way upstream, navigating the jumble of boulders with practiced agility, is 54 year old bushwalker Neil Parker. He scrambles on all fours, pulling himself past one obstacle before hopping onto the next. His movements are smooth, fluid he is comfortable on this terrain. Neil reaches a tall rock face Bisected down the middle by ribbon of cascading white water.

[Neil Parker]

You walk into this beautiful circular pond and this massive 30 meter black slab rock face in front of you with a tree line branching off to the right hand side.

[Narrator]

His gaze zigzags up the sloping black edifice. The rock faces high, but not vertical all the way up. At about 20ft it drops back to a gradient that is easily walkable. From there, it's a relatively simple scramble.

The rest of the way.

Neil follows a path that leads around the side of the waterfall, then up to the point where the rock face flattens to a shallower gradient. He steps onto a ledge. It feels solid enough. He weighs up his next move.

[Neil Parker]

I'm just standing there and I'm just looking about where I'm heading off to next. I look down, I saw my left foot sliding. I looked up to find something to grab and there was nothing. My left foot slipped.

[Narrator]

Suddenly his foot shoots out from underneath him. Before he has time to steady himself, he starts sliding backwards. There are no handholds, no way to.

Stop what is happening.

The dried algae coating the rock is crumbling beneath his boots, forming a treacherous slippery surface that is leading him inexorably towards a sheer 20 foot drop.

[Neil Parker]

I looked straight away down that curved rock face that I knew I was headed for and I looked down there and I just thought this is going to be bad, Neil. You are going to be seriously injured when you land.

[Narrator]

Ever wondered what you would do when disaster strikes? If your life depended on your next decision, could you make the right choice? Welcome to Real Survival Stories. These are the astonishing tales of ordinary people thrown into extraordinary situations. People suddenly forced to fight for their lives. In this episode we meet Neil Parker. One Sunday in September 2019, Neil is out on a casual hike through a popular wilderness area outside Brisbane where he lives. It's a beautiful day and he's enjoying working his way up an intricate creek system. But when he tries to navigate around a waterfall, the world crumbles beneath him. Next comes a brutal fall and a series of bone crunching collisions as he plummets 20ft into deep water. By the time he resurfaces, the damage has been done.

[Neil Parker]

I say, Neil, there's something really, really bad with your leg. Something is really, really not good. With your left foot.

[Narrator]

Unable to walk, his only option is to crawl. On a map, it might not seem far back to where he started. But with debilitating injuries plus tricky terrain and venomous reptiles blocking his path, this 600 meter crawl will soon turn into a Grim, soul crushing slog.

[Neil Parker]

You must have crawled for eight hours. You've got to be close to the junction. Why haven't we found the junction? Have you gone past the junction? You're just going to die out here. There's no way you can do this. You've tried and tried and you don't even seem to be moving on the map.

[Narrator]

I'm John Hopkins from the Noiser Podcast Network. This is Real Survival Stories. It's September 15, 2019. In his apartment in the Brisbane suburbs, Neil Parker is packing a day bag. The 54 year old runs through his checklist. First aid kit, map and compass, snacks, water bottle, hunting knife, everything you'll need for this sunny Sunday hike. Today's outing is a casual one. A quick jaunt along Cabbage Tree Creek, a shallow stream that runs through the Mount Nebo nature area just outside the city. It's a straightforward route that Neil has walked many times before. But as any experienced bushwalker knows, proper preparation, even for apparently simple expeditions, is essential. By nature, Neil is careful, detail oriented and practical. But as he nears the end of his checklist, one glaring omission jumps out at him. A handy piece of gear that unfortunately was a casualty of his recent divorce.

[Neil Parker]

I would normally carry a plb, which is a personal location beacon. Some people know about things called EPIRBs. EPIRBs are what a ship uses. They're Russian going location beacons, but on land they're called plb. It's personal location beacon. But when we split up, the PLB was the wife, so she kept it and I was meant to buy another one.

[Narrator]

But in the end, Neil never got around to it. Venturing into the bush without a PLB isn't ideal, but if he gets into trouble, he should still be able to rely on his mobile phone. He'll be tackling this little trek solo. He did invite a couple of friends from his local hiking club, the Brisbane Bushwalkers. But they both had other plans this weekend and so Neil has made some appropriate adjustments. He won't be going anywhere outside of mobile range, so as long as his phone doesn't run out of battery, he should be covered on that front. Plus, it's not like he's off exploring the outback. Mount Nebo is less than 40km from downtown Brisbane, so when his friends said they couldn't come with him, he shrugged it off.

[Neil Parker]

I said, oh yeah, no problem, it's okay. And I thought, it's only a three hour walk, I'll avoid all the hard stuff. Off I go. Three hours on the home of my.

[Narrator]

Lunch he checks the battery on his phone is fully charged. Then he slips it into his pocket, shoulders his backpack and grabs his car keys. There is always nothing quite like this moment. Stepping through his front door, map and compass in hand, bound for an adventure in the great wide world beyond. Finding escape in nature was something that Neil learned to do as a child. Growing up in a poor, crime ridden corner of Brisbane.

[Neil Parker]

It was a very tough upbringing. You don't have to look the wrong way at the shopping center and you get your head punched in and things like that, you know, it just was rough. So you learn to keep your head down and be smart about what you did and where you went and stuff like that.

[Narrator]

But being inconspicuous was never going to be easy for young Neil. Tall, thin and socially awkward, he was an easy target for school bullies. Despite his father working two jobs, money was often scarce which meant that he and his three sisters had to go without basic necessities. This too became a reason for other kids to single him out.

[Neil Parker]

I didn't wear a school uniform. I only had hand me down clothes. I never had new sneakers. I was a string bean. I was as skinny as a rake. And then because I was shy they would pick on me and I knew I wouldn't fight back, I'd just get upset and that's what they just do, they just keep picking at me because they knew they could upset me.

[Narrator]

All told, school was a pretty miserable endurance test. But when the last lesson of the day finished, it was always a place he could go to to find solace and a sense of belonging. A place where no school uniform was required.

[Neil Parker]

Being outdoors for me has always been the place that's recharged my batteries and made me feel alive being the only boy in the family. Mum and dad never used to worry about me. And me and the local kids, we'd go down the bushwalk game, we'd play in the creek in the bush and as long as we're home by dark, you know that wasn't a problem. The freedom to do that and be myself around friends outside of school was just great.

[Narrator]

After finishing school, Neil joined the Royal Australian Navy, enticed by the prospect of overseas travel. But in the end his stint in the military was short lived.

[Neil Parker]

I only lasted a year in the navy. It turned out it wasn't quite for me. I'm too independent, I don't particularly do well in groups and say I'm the kind of person who likes to ask how high to jump when the child to jump. I'd rather just do my own thing.

[Narrator]

Neil quit the Navy and returned to Brisbane to find work. He started selling kitchen equipment on shop floors, then worked his way up the ladder to become a commercial kitchen designer. During this time, he got married and had kids, a son and a daughter. But while it may have seemed from the outside like everything was going great, the reality wasn't so rosy. Beneath the veneer of personal and professional success, he was struggling.

[Neil Parker]

I got divorced from my first wife with my kids at my fault. Drink and depression was a problem I was dealing with, but it was undiagnosed and it cost me my marriage. In 2012, she relocated back to New Zealand and the kids went with her. So in 2012, I had a massive mental breakdown and I spent six months where I just drank, cried, slept and did nothing. Couldn't get out of bed. I lost everything. I lost my house, lost my job, lost my career, everything. I was $3,000 in debt to a mate and had to start again.

[Narrator]

Slowly, with the help of a therapist.

His mental health improved. Contributing towards his recovery was the fact that around this time he got involved with a local hiking club, the Brisbane Bushwalkers. Over the past decade, Neil's love of outdoor adventure had fallen by the wayside, lost in the general melee of Life. But around 2012, shortly after his mental health crisis, he'd rediscovered the pursuit that had given him so much joy as a kid.

[Neil Parker]

It's pretty much what saved my life in 2012. It's what turned my life around. It gave me renewed purpose to live, to have a reason to be alive, to look forward to the weekend, getting out with a group of like minded people, having fun, great banter, adventuring, climbing, scrambling. This is absolutely what I want to do. And it really, really did totally change my life around.

[Narrator]

It's now seven years since Neil joined the Brisbane Bushwalkers. In that time, he's gone from the newest recruit to one of the group's most proficient guides. It has become the focal point of his life. A few years ago, he met someone, a woman from the club and got remarried. And though the relationship didn't last, they split on good terms and both remain active members. As for his kids, Neil was estranged from them for a long time after his first divorce. But recently there have been signs of a potential reconciliation. A little over a month ago, his son came out to Brisbane to visit his dad for the first time in years.

[Neil Parker]

He came over and he saw me and, you know, we had a lengthy conversation about what we had done. Wrong and stuff like that. And so we come to an agreement that, you know, we would work positively to bring our relationship back together. I was on a higher thinking break. Wasn't the best of circumstances.

[Narrator]

But at the start, as he follows.

The road towards Mount Nebo, Neil's mood is light. He's full of optimism, not just for the hike ahead, but for the future in general.

[Neil Parker]

The thought of having the opportunity to be a father to my children again was like excellent. This is what I've always wanted to be. I always wanted to be a father and unfortunately I lost that opportunity and now I've been handed back on the platter. I don't want to lose that.

[CarGurus Advertiser]

A well built wardrobe is about pieces that work together and hold up over time. That's what Quince does best. Premium materials, thoughtful design and everyday staples that feel easy to wear and easy to rely on even as the weather shifts. Quince has the everyday essentials I love with quality that lasts. Organic cotton sweaters, polos for every occasion, lighter jackets that keep you warm in the changing seasons. The list goes on. Quince works directly with top factories and cuts out the middlemen so you're not paying for brand markup, just quality clothing. Everything is built to hold up to daily wear and still look good season after season. Plus, they only partner with factories that meet rigorous standards for craftsmanship and ethical production. With spring approaching soon, I just added their packable performance training jacket that's perfect for outdoor workouts, long runs or just quick runs to the store. It's a very versatile jacket that will also handle windy and rainy weather. So refresh your wardrobe with quince. Go to quince.comsurvivalstories for free shipping on your order and 365 day returns. Now available in Canada too. That's quince.comsurvivalstories free shipping and 365 day returns. Quince.comsurvivalstories you didn't start a business just.

[Narrator]

To keep the lights on.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

You're here to sell more today than yesterday.

[Narrator]

You're here to win.

Lucky for you, Shopify built the best.

Converting checkout on the planet. Like the Just one tapping ridiculously fast.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Acting sky high sales stacking champion of checkouts. That's the good stuff right there.

[Narrator]

So if your business is in it to win it, win with Shopify. Start your free trial [e-mail] win.

It's about 9am Neil has parked his car at the trailhead and is picking his way along Cabbage Tree Creek. The waterway runs down the middle of a deep rock filled Gorge tumbling and twisting around stepping stone boulders. After walking for about an hour, he reaches a junction where the creek forks. There's a small clearing to one side and a gravel track that leads off into the trees. His plan is to walk upstream along one of the forks until he reaches a series of beautiful waterfalls and swimming holes.

[Neil Parker]

From that location it's uphill, fairly steep, scrambly. Rocks we're talking about rocks the size of cars to be climbing over and scrambling over constantly. It's not just a flat walk, it's all fours, hands on everything, climbing over everything.

[Narrator]

Neil navigates the boulders with dexterity and at about 9:30 he reaches the first of the series of waterfalls. He pauses on a boulder and looks.

Up at the obstacle.

A sheer rock face soars 100ft above his head, split down the middle by a plume of cascading water. It's not vertical all the way to the top top. At 20ft the rock face flattens, making it possible to scramble up without ropes. In the past, Neil has led walking expeditions around this very fall.

It's a good place to take less.

Experienced walkers because of the range of difficulty grades it presents.

[Neil Parker]

I would lead walkers around a right hand face above the deep water to see if they would like doing an overhang climb around and into the main part of the waterfall and up.

[Narrator]

For those who didn't fancy the tricky overhang climb, he would suggest the so called chicken track. A footpath that leads around the side.

Of the falls up to the point.

At which the rock face flattens out. Ordinarily he'd challenge himself with a harder.

[Neil Parker]

Climb, but on this day Neil, that's the high grade walk. You're not putting yourself at risk today. Go around the back, do the chicken track and come out where that leads out to the top. So I did that, went around the back, came up to the flat rock at the top and I've just got the flat wall face in front of me. I was on a bit of a knife edge of a rock but it was almost flat. It'd be less than 5 degree angle of slope.

[Narrator]

He pauses on the ledge. Next to him the waterfall crashes into.

The deep pool below.

The rock beneath his feet is covered in a fine coating of brownish red.

Algae, thoroughly dried out by the sun.

During the rainy season. Neil would never attempt this walk. The slippery weeds would make it far too dangerous. But now the algae adds traction beneath his trail shoes. Or at least it's supposed to. For months this part of Australia has been experiencing higher than normal temperatures and lower than normal Rainfall. The result is that the algae has dried out to an extent that Neil hasn't experienced before. Rather than providing grip, the dehydrated plants turn to dust beneath his feet, transforming this beginner level walk into a deadly booby trap. So just when he pauses to adjust his footing, Neil slips.

[Neil Parker]

I looked down, I saw my left foot sliding. I looked up to find something to grab and there was nothing. I looked back down and my right foot slipped and I just noticed this white powder coming out from under my feet.

[Narrator]

The algae has crumbled to a fine white dust beneath his shoes. As he skids backwards, arms flailing, Neil glances over his left shoulder towards the drop. He's sliding towards rocky ledges, jutting boulders and a pool of icy water all await below. This is going to hurt and I.

[Neil Parker]

Just thought this is gonna be bad. Neil, you are gonna be seriously injured when you land. If you're alive when you hit the bottom, you need to start swimming. It's gonna be cold, you're gonna go into shock. You gotta do what you gotta do as soon as you hit that water.

[Narrator]

It's about 9:40am Southeast Queensland, Australia. In the dense, lush rainforest around Mount Nebo. On a rocky ledge partway up a hundred foot waterfall, Neil Parker has lost his footing. The experienced bushwalker slides backwards, knees bent, arms grasping at thin air, frantically reaching for handholds in the rock wall to his right. 20ft below, the waterfall crashes thunderously onto.

A solid stone ledge before spilling out.

Into a deep, dark plunge pool.

As he slides, Neil makes one final.

Futile lunge for a handhold. But it's no good. And with that, he topples backwards over the edge, pinballing between the rocks on his way down.

[Neil Parker]

And I'm going down, I go bang, crash, splash into the water.

[Narrator]

He plummets into the deep pool of water, cold rushing through his body. Seconds later, his head resurfaces as he gasps and thrashes about. It takes a moment or two to come to his senses, but when he does, there is a strange sickening sensation in his lower leg.

[Neil Parker]

I say, Neil, there's something really, really bad with your leg. Something is really, really not good with your left foot. Keep swimming, keep swimming. Get out of the water. You don't want to go into shock. I only had about 20, 30ft to swim up to a rocky shoal and I pulled myself up onto the rocky shoal and I looked and I thought, I'm alive.

[Narrator]

Neil lies on his back on the rocks, his chest heaving. A dull throb radiates from his Left ankle. Wincing, he hauls himself up into a sitting position and looks down to assess the damage.

[Neil Parker]

Okay, what's wrong with your leg? I lifted my leg up out of the water and my foot fell off the end of my leg. Just drooped off the end of my leg.

[Narrator]

He stares wide eyed. His left ankle has snapped so severely that his foot hangs limp, moving in a way it shouldn't, as though held in place by a loose hinge. Working quickly using what he has, he fashions a splint out of his walking pole and some snakebite bandages. As he wraps his leg in elastic gauze, he feels a sudden sharp pain in his left wrist. His left hand is swollen and bruised. He'll have to keep an eye on that too. Once he's all strapped up, Neil turns his focus towards rescue.

[Neil Parker]

I still got feeling in my fingers. Okay? It can't be too bad. Okay, call for help. Bring my pack around. Get my dry sack out with my phone in it. No range. I'm in a rock gorge. I'm surrounded on three sides by this rock enclosure. I can't get range.

[Narrator]

With a trembling hand, he holds up his phone, trying to pick up a bar of signal. No luck. A grim truth settles on him. To reach an area where he can get some signal to phone the emergency services, he's gonna have to get out of this gorge or at least reach a place where its walls are lower and less obstructive. Neil grimaces. He goes to put his phone back in his pocket. But he must be shaking more than he realizes because as he lowers his hand to his trouser pocket, he feels his phone suddenly slip from his fingers and fall with a muffled splash into the creek. Neil dives forward. Plunging his arm into the water, he manages to catch the device before it sinks out of reach. He pulls it from the weeds and frantically dries it off. The screen has turned an ominous black. He holds his thumb down on the power button. Nothing. He tries again, but still no dice.

[Neil Parker]

I'd say I now knew how serious this event was. Nobody knows where I am. I haven't told anybody. I've gone out walking. I've had a serious accident and now I've lost my own means of communications. Now it's like this is no longer a bad day, Neil. This is now life and death.

[Rocket Money Advertiser]

Want to feel more confident with your finances this year? If you have 60 seconds, I can show you how quick and easy it is to start building healthy money habits that could last you the entire year just by using rocket Money. Step 1 Download Rocket Money. Step 2 Link all your accounts and see your entire spending picture. Your subscriptions, your upcoming bills, your due dates, everything. Step 3 Tap a subscription you don't use and cancel it. Boom. That's money back every single month. Step 4 Create a financial goal for something you want to save for, whether it be a vacation, a retirement account, or a pet's birthday. We don't judge. Now. Let the app automatically move small amounts of cash towards your goal. In a month, you'll see real dollars piling up. In a year, you'll be shocked at how much money you saved, similar to the over 10 million members on the app that have saved up to $740 a year. When using all of the app's premium FE, use the savings Challenge as one step closer to feeling better about your finances. [e-mail] Cancel that's RocketMoney.com Cancel One more time, it's RocketMoney.com Cancel Five years ago.

[Rocket Money User]

I was paying $65 a month for my subscriptions. Today, those same subscriptions cost $111, and I don't even use half of them anymore. That's why now I use Rocket Money to manage my subscriptions for me. The app gives you a list of all of your subscriptions and reminds you of upcoming payments, so you' hit with any surprise charges. On top of that, it also sends you alerts when subscription prices go up, so you always know the price you're paying. If you decide you no longer want a subscription, you can cancel it right from the app. No customer service needed. And the best part is, Rocket Money even reaches out and tries to get you refunded for some of the money you lost. On average, people that cancel their subscriptions with rocket money save $378 a year, and overall, Rocket Money has saved its members $880 million in canceled subscriptions. Stop wasting money on things you don't use. Go to rocketmoney.com cancel to get started. That's rocketmoney.com cancel rocketmoney.com cancel.

[Narrator]

Neil takes a minute to weigh up his options with no means of communication. He is stuck. And because he didn't tell anyone exactly where he was going or at what time, there is little chance of anyone coming to look for him anytime soon. His only hope now, it seems, is to get himself to an area where he will be visible from the sky.

[Neil Parker]

I knew then that if I didn't do something, I'd just be found here as a sack of bones by somebody in the Future. I knew that the only way I could increase my chances of being rescued was to get back to the clearing where a helicopter, if they did come searching for me, could possibly see me. So that's my plan. Got to get back to that clearing.

[Narrator]

He was at the clearing this morning. It can't be more than half a mile downstream, a distance he covered in 40 minutes with the luxury of no broken bones. But traversing the rough rocky terrain in his current condition with a shattered ankle and a likely fractured wrist could take hours. Gritting his teeth, Neil tries to push himself upright. But as soon as he puts the slightest weight on his left side, excruciating pain. Walking is out of the question.

[Neil Parker]

I had a thought, I'm just going for crawl and I was going to do what I can. I was on my bum. I would lean on my left elbow, I would hold my left leg up with my muscles my and I would just pull myself along the rocks.

[Narrator]

Neil drags himself backwards across the boulders, keeping his injured left leg elevated off the ground. It's painfully slow going. Some of the boulders are the size of cars. Huge blocks of dark sandstone blocking his path.

[Neil Parker]

I have to back out, shuffle over to another location, look over. Yep, this is doable. I can do this and lower myself as carefully as possible without trying to hit my injured limbs. I'd lean onto my right hand side and slide down a rock and just hope for the best when I hit the bottom.

[Narrator]

Occasionally, when his left leg accidentally clips a rock, he braces for the inevitable surge of agony. But oddly, it doesn't come. The pain he feels has a muted quality, as if his body, intent on reaching the clearing, has shut down its own receptors, filtering out anything that might slow his progress. Whatever the science is thankful for this small mercy. With no phone to tell the time, Neil looks up at the sky. The sun has barely reached its zenith, which means he's only been going for about five, three hours. It feels like he's been crawling all day.

[Neil Parker]

I thought I need a rest. I just got to take a break. And so I found a flattish enough spot that I could lay back and close my eyes. And I was taking the rest and been about 15 minutes and I started hearing a rustling sound. I think there's a snake.

[Narrator]

His eyes snap open. Venomous snakes. This part of Australia is rife with them. From deadly common browns to the fearsome coastal taipan, tiger snakes and death adders, any bushwalker knows to be on their guard for a sudden run in with one of these creatures. Neil has grown up around snakes by and large they're only aggressive if provoked. His this one is probably just curious.

[Neil Parker]

Yeah, no worries. Don't worry about it. Close my eyes, I'll go back to sleep. Then the rustling started getting closer and closer and I thought yeah, okay, I got to deal with this. So I opened my eyes. It wasn't a snake. It was a 2 meter goanna.

[Narrator]

Suddenly prowling towards him is a goanna or monitor lizard, a large carnivorous reptile known for their long claws, sharp teeth and voracious appetites. At 6 and a half feet this one is a fully grown adult. Anil doesn't like the way it's looking at him.

[Neil Parker]

They will eat keratin, they'll eat rotten meat and they'll take a chunk out of anything. Their bites will put me in far more danger of death then the injuries are sustained already because the bacteria in their mouth is designed to break down meat when they eat it. So I'm thinking now this is a problem.

[Narrator]

The lizard slopes from the undergrowth about 10ft from where Neil is lying. Like a snake. Goannas smell with their tongues. It's how they detect carrion and wounded prey. Neil glances down at his splinted ankle where a dark spot of blood has started to seep through the bandage. He looks back at the goanna, its tongue flickering as it creeps from the bush. He keeps eye contact with the giant creature and for a time everything stands still.

[Neil Parker]

Once he realized I had an eye on him and watched him. You know he's flicking his tongue and watching me and flicking his tongue. He walked about 3 meters to my left hand side, went up and over a rock face and disappeared.

[Narrator]

Big sigh of relief. Fending off a hungry goanna is the last thing he needs right now. And not wanting to hang around for the reptile to come sniffing again, he pushes himself onto his elbows and resumes his punishing stunning log. The hours grind on as Neil pushes, pulls and heaved his way along the creek. Eventually the light turns golden and the shadows begin to lengthen around him. He's been going all day. It's hard to say exactly how far he's traveled. But there is still no sign of the clearing. Surely he can't be far. Still he's utterly exhausted. He finds a flat section of rock and tugs his bag off his back. He pulls out his sleeping bag brought in case of emergencies and wraps himself up in it.

The temperature is dropping fast and sleeping.

On this cold rock isn't going to do him any favors. He pulls on a few Extra layers and hunkers down before closing his eyes. He tosses back a couple of painkillers, swallowing the bitter pills with a swig from his water bottle.

[Neil Parker]

And I just lay there and I would close my eyes and the moon would be at 10 o' clock. Next time I wake up the moon would be at 12 o' clock. Next time it'd be 4 o', clock, you know. And so I wasn't really sleeping but I was lapsing in and out of restful sleep I guess.

[Narrator]

It's dawn the next day. Cold and stiff from his restless night, Neil crawls out of his sleeping bag and turns to face the jungle. His bruised body aches all over. Beneath the blood stained bandage, his ankle throbs with a dull persistent pain. During the long empty hours of the night, new anxieties began to creep in. What if he sustained internal injuries in the fall? What if his fractured leg becomes infected? All these scenarios swirl around him as he shoulders his pack and sets off crawling once more. All morning Neil drags himself across the boulders, his broken bones shifting and scraping. He must be nearing the junction where the stream forks. The clearing lies right alongside it. But when he pulls out his map and tries to take a compass bearing, something seems off. If his orienteering skills are to be trusted, it appears he's only traveled a measly 300 meters. Not even a fifth of a mile. This can't be right.

[Neil Parker]

So now the mind games start playing. It's day two. You crawled all day yesterday. You must have crawled eight hours. You've got to be close to the junction. Why haven't we found the junction? Have you gone past the junction? You know, so I'm starting having doubts about where I am. You're just going to die out here. There's no way you can do this, you know. You've tried and tried and you don't even seem to be moving on the map. Emotions are starting to kick in because I'm starting to worry about my family. And people who don't know where I am are probably by now started to miss me, you know. It's Monday, you know. Surely someone's missed me by now.

[Narrator]

Above all, there's his children. After years of estrangement, Neil has finally started to make some inroads into repairing those relationships.

[Neil Parker]

I just started thinking there's no way I want them to think that I've gone and abandoned them again. Or I've abandoned the idea of reconnecting with them. And I thought I gotta get out of here.

[Narrator]

With a renewed determination Neil checks the map. If he is where he thinks he is, it can't be more than 400 meters to the junction. Quarter of a mile tops. He just needs to get his head down and press on. Off he goes, squirming over boulder after boulder. His shoulders and biceps burn with the effort of dragging his own weight for more than 12 hours. But he doesn't let up. He falls into a rhythm, sweat pouring off his brow, shunting and wriggling across the rocks. At one point, his ears prick up. A muffled sound echoes off the walls of the gorge. Human voices drifting through the trees.

[Neil Parker]

I start hearing voices because the fire trail follows the creek system. But a good 400 meters away, I could hear voices. I thought people are walking down the fire trail. I start screaming at the top of my lungs, help. Help. I'm seriously injured. I need help.

[Narrator]

Neil bellows until his voice is hoarse. His cries reverberate into the wilderness. He waits, not daring to breathe, straining his ears for a reply. And then he gets one.

[Neil Parker]

It turned out to be wampu pigeons. And the wampu makes a noise. It was echoing through the forest. It just sounded like muffled conversation of people. So I was dreaming that I was hearing people, or hopeful that what I was hearing were people. But it was just a local pigeon.

[Narrator]

Sick with disappointment, he carries on. Another couple of hours drag by, and still there's no sign of the junction.

[Neil Parker]

All sorts of things are doubting in my mind, you know. Where am I at? What am I doing? Still arguing with myself, looking at the map. No, I'm still going southeast. The compass says I'm still southeast. Why haven't I found this junction? I'm still in the same square I've been in for two days to 1km square can't be right.

[Narrator]

Neil studies the map again. The grids and contour lines swim before his eyes, blurring together into meaningless symbols. He stuffs the map angrily back into his pocket. On he goes. Soon enough, the sun's slanting rays tell him it's late afternoon. His second day is almost up. Neil lifts his head to check his whereabouts. And at last, there it is. The fork in the creek.

[Neil Parker]

I thought, wow, I've actually finally made it to the junction. I'm here. I got a chance of survival now. I've got a chance of somebody finding me.

[Narrator]

It has taken him two days to crawl a distance of 600 meters, but he has made it. Once again. Neil finds a flat section of rock and curls up in his sleeping bag. Gradually, the honeyed evening light turns a dusky blue. And then, shortly after nightfall, he hears it.

[Neil Parker]

Not long after the moon came up, I heard a helicopter. Someone already knows what's happened. They're going to find me. But I'm a kneel in a haystack. Even if they're using thermal imaging, I'm a needle in a haystack out here because they don't know where to start looking for me or where I am exactly. But it gave me hope to think, okay, somebody's already worked it out. Help is on its way. My mood and my spirits are elevated instantly to I'm going to get rescued tomorrow.

[CarGurus Announcer]

I didn't even realize I was wasting $415 a month until I downloaded Rocket Money. I thought I had my finances under control until the app laid out all my spending and categorized it for me. Takeout shopping and unused subscriptions were quietly draining my account, and as a result, my savings took a back seat. But Rocket Money doesn't just tell you what you're wasting money on. It takes action to save you money. First, the app looks at your income and monthly expenses and calculates how much you can safely spend each day to stay on your budget. Rocket Money also finds and cancels unwanted subscriptions for you, and even negotiates better rates on your bills so you have more money in your pocket. On average, Rocket Money members can save up to $740 a year when using all the app's premium features. Users love the app with over 186,000 five star ratings. It's time to simplify your finances and take control of your Money. Go to RocketMoney.com Cancel to get started. That's RocketMoney.com Cancel RocketMoney.com Cancel let's do the 60 Second Savings Challenge. Step 1 Download Rocket Money Step 2 Link your accounts and see every subscription you're paying for. Tap one you don't use and cancel it. That's money back every month. Step three create a financial goal $50 every paycheck. Or let the app automatically move small amounts of cash. When you can afford it in a week, you'll forget you set it up. In a month, you'll see real dollars piling up. In a year, you'll be shocked at how much money you've saved. Bonus Upload an Internet or phone bill and let Rocket Money try to lower it. You only pay if they find you savings. On average, Rocket Money members can save up to $740 a year when using all of the app's premium features. Users love the app with over 186,000 five star ratings make saving money the resolution you actually keep. Start the 60 second savings [e-mail] cancel. That's rocketmoney.com cancel rocketmoney.com cancel.

[Narrator]

It's Tuesday morning. At first light, Neil looks around the creek in anticipation. Surely today's the day that this nightmare will end. By now his absence must have been noted by someone. He heard a helicopter last night combing the area. That feels like proof that people are out looking for him. But as the sun continues to climb, his confidence starts to wane.

[Neil Parker]

Road people, no helicopter. They start thinking, well, I'm in a mountain range that there's a ridge road that goes along the whole ridge for about 30 kilometers. And it's unfortunately notorious for boy racers racing at night. And the police monitor it by helicopter. So now my thoughts are okay, the helicopter wasn't there for me.

[Narrator]

What if his assumptions are wrong? What if help isn't on the way? Despondent, Neil drags himself up the bank and into the clearing where he situates himself against the trunk of a stunted spindly tree.

[Neil Parker]

And I crawled over to that and I just laid out in the sun and I stretched out my Sol Emergency sleeping bag. It's 2 metres by 1 meter, bright orange on a greeny grass background. And I laid out in the sun and thought I'm just gonna have to sit here and wait.

[Narrator]

In the end, he doesn't have to wait long.

[Neil Parker]

I hear the helicopter again, but now the helicopter is behind me but in a more rhythmic movement, coming towards me. And I'm like getting real excited now because I'm thinking, okay, they're in a real slow search mode pattern. I got a chance here. And the helicopter flew directly over the top of me. But if you've ever been in a helicopter and been involved in rescue, when you're in a helicopter you're looking out to the sides, you're not necessarily looking out underneath.

[Narrator]

His heart sinks. He can't believe his bad luck. The helicopter has managed to to soar so perfectly over Neil that he will have remained in the aircraft's blind spot directly underneath the fuselage. He listens, helpless to the sound of the rotors moving further away. But then.

[Neil Parker]

The helicopter did a circle round and they came in from my right hand side and they stopped directly above me and the helicopter began to maneuver backwards and horror. And it was just like they found me. I'm going to be rescued. And so great joy and relief of knowing that I've been found.

[Narrator]

Neil squints up at the sky, the helicopter hovers, its powerful downdrafts agitating the forest canopy. The door slides open and two crew members are winched down to where he is sitting.

[Neil Parker]

It's really hard to explain it to somebody if you haven't had a near death experience to understand that you are actually going to survive this, that release of endorphins. I was ecstatically happy and the paramedic said to me, why are you smiling? I said, because I'm talking to you. I should be dead. And that was, that was it. I was just so happy to be alive.

[Narrator]

Neil is strapped into a harness and winched up into the helicopter. Only 20 minutes later, he's being wheeled through hospital corridors, blinking up at the faces of the medical staff. Bizarrely, they all seem to know exactly who he is.

[Neil Parker]

I reached me straight out of the helicopter, straight into er and people in ER are always saying, oh, you're that guy. We heard about you on the news. Oh, we're so amazing. We're going to get to look after you today. I'm like, I just landed here, you know. But they already know, they already know the story. I'm like, wow, this is incredible. You know, people in ER are already full bottle on what I've gone through and you know my story. So yeah. The news had traveled so fast.

[Narrator]

A convoluted sequence of events has led to his rescue. It was his boss who first raised concerns when Neil didn't report for work on Monday. The boss contacted Neil's sisters, for whom alarm bells began to ring immediately. With their brother's history of mental health struggles, they feared for his well being. They contacted the Brisbane bushwalkers who were able to figure out that Neil had gone missing while hiking up Cabbage Tree Creek. That was where the emergency rescue team focused their search and where they eventually found him, badly injured but alive. After arriving at the er, Neil is whisked into a ward where medics check his vitals and stick IV drips into his arms.

[Neil Parker]

They stabilized me and they said, okay, you're stable enough now that we can bring your family in. I brought my sisters in and it was quite a terrible reunion with my sisters because, you know, they thought I may have committed suicide and suddenly now they're seeing me. So it was a very joyful reunion with my sisters.

[Narrator]

Soon, however, it's time to address his injuries. As well as shattering both his ankle and his wrist. Further X rays reveal that Neil has also crushed 20 vertebrae. It will take several complex operations to realign his broken bones and mend the damage to his spine. He is dosed up on strong pain relief, then wheeled into the operating theater, where a team of specialist orthopedic surgeons carefully piece him back together. After his operations, Neil must remain bed bound as his bones heal. Complications arise as his body struggles to cope with the trauma that has been inflicted upon it. The pain he managed to suppress in the bush surges back with a vengeance in the hospital as he endures week after week of intensive treatment and exhausting rehab.

[Neil Parker]

It was a challenge every day, but I was keen to do it. I just wanted to get out of that hospital bed and out of that hospital room because I've been here for two, two and a half weeks looking at the ceiling, the tv. I just had enough of the crowd. Want to get out of that room. I'm not the kind of person that likes to sit and wait.

[Narrator]

Eventually, Neil is allowed to go home. It takes several months to return to full health, but as soon as he's ready, he's back out doing what he loves, Bushwhacking trails and climbing mountains. But just as he's beginning to feel like himself again, something unexpected forces him back indoors. Only a couple of months after leaving the hospital, the COVID 19 pandemic hits, and the resulting lockdowns leave Neil feeling just as powerless as before. The sudden isolation of quarantine is strange and unsettling, but he manages to make peace with it. As he did during his accident and subsequent rehab, he finds a path through this challenge, too.

[Neil Parker]

I just thought, well, it's happened. You just got to deal with it, keep positive, just keep moving on. Just don't worry about things you can't affect. And so I just learned to stop worrying about little things and start looking at the bigger picture. I could get hit by a bus tomorrow. So just enjoy life, Just enjoy what you're doing. Don't worry about what might happen next year when they decide they're going to close a national park or, you know, they're going to change the road system or the companies that you're working for, you know, in a merger. Forget all that that might happen. Live in the moment and appreciate what you're doing now. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to dwell on negativity. I've been a victim, but I don't choose to be a victim. I choose to be a survivor.

[Narrator]

Next time we meet professor, mountaineer and.

Environmental scientist John all. In the spring of 2014, the 44 year old is leading a research trip in a remote corner of the Himalayas. Until one morning when John experiences firsthand the dangers of doing scientific research on the roof of the world. A hidden danger in the snow thrusts him into a seemingly insurmountable scenario. Tumbling into a freezing cold chasm that sinks into the very bowels of the mountain, it seems there's only one question. Will John die a quick death or a slow one? Trapped, critically injured and surrounded by icy darkness, his only hope is an audacious, elaborate and incredibly dangerous self rescue. That's next time on Unreal Survival Stories.

Listen right now without waiting and without.

Ads, by joining Noiser plus today. Just click the banner at the top of the feed to get started.