Cattle farmer Erwin Grotes speaks about wild ordeal in leech, snake-infested forest near Coffs Harbour

With daylight and hope fading, an 80-year-old farmer clambered from dangerous bush south of Coffs Harbour after a wide-scale search. This is his story.

Erwin and Brigitte Grotes after their ordeal at Newee Creek, south of Coffs Harbour. Picture: Chris Knight

An 80-year-old cattle farmer who was at the centre of a wide-scale search south of Coffs Harbour – after looking for his wife who disappeared into the same dense bush – is wondering what all the fuss was about.

German-born Erwin Grotes was missing for some five hours on Friday afternoon, sparking a painstaking search of treacherous, lantana-strangled rainforest at Newee Creek.

NSW Police, Rural Fire Service brigades from Newee Creek and North Macksville and the State Emergency Service attended – about 40 searchers in total.

A large scale search was conducted on Friday, December 2, after Erwin Grotes went missing in thick bushland near his property at Newee Creek. Police, Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service workers assembled in Newee Creek Rd. Picture: Chris Knight

The day of drama started at 11am when Mr Grotes’ wife, Brigitte went into the jungle to chase up seven cows, which had escaped from their neighbouring property after a tree-fall busted fencing.

Retired nurse Narelle Marshall, who lives opposite the unkempt property on Newee Creek Rd, saw Ms Grotes enter the bush and concerns grew when she was not seen for hours.

Mr Grotes arrived in his tractor and walked into the bush to try and find his wife at 2.30pm.

About an hour later, Ms Grotes emerged from the scrub mostly unscathed, despite recovering from two hip replacements in July.

The 71-year-old – also German born – held two large branches in a bid to safeguard herself from falling as she successfully pushed the cows back to their paddock.

Erwin Grotes’ tractor where he left it before he went into the jungle to try and find his wife Brigitte. Picture: Chris Knight

“With these I have four legs (brandishing the branches)”, said Ms Grotes, who resembled a Nordic cross-country skier as she ploughed through the tangle of vegetation.

But she got the shock of her life when Ms Marshall said Mr Grotes had gone looking for her.

“Oh no, no – he shouldn’t be in there,” Ms Grotes said, as she gulped some water and headed back into the forest, cooeeing in a bid to find him.

Neighbour Narelle Marshall called the State Emergency Service as concern mounted for the Grotes. Picture: Chris Knight

With both the pair now missing and light fading, Ms Marshall called the SES, who in turn alerted police.

As luck would have it, the local RFS brigade at Newee Creek was gathering for its Christmas party, and arriving police told them volunteer firefighters were needed.

As emergency services responders poured in to the area, Ms Grotes walked clear of the bush, but there was still no sign of her husband.

Darran Dutton (pictured) and his brother-in-law Mark Schultz were among those searching for Erwin Grotes after he was missing in thick bushland at Newee Creek. Picture: Supplied

A drone was dispatched, but it was of no use as the vegetation canopy hid all.

The locals were as hard on the case as any – neighbour and former Macksville rugby league hardman Darran Dutton and his brother-in-law Mark Schultz joined the hunt in country they knew well on quad bikes.

With barely minutes of daylight remaining, Ms Marshall’s son, bobcat operator Scott Marshall, said he would scope a paddock well south of the forest, more on a possibility than a hunch.

As he arrived there, a solid kilometre away, Mr Marshall and his wife Renee saw a man clamber from the bush onto open land.

The property was near impenetrable due to the thick vegetation. Picture: Chris Knight

“We figured it must be him. He was exhausted and pretty banged up,” Mr Marshall said.

“He wasn’t happy about the leeches – reckoned he’d need a blood transfusion.

“I said ‘there’s a lot of people looking for you’.

“When I told him his wife was safe and at home, his face just changed, with relief, I guess.”

Scott and Renee Marshall found Mr Grotes as he emerged from the thick bush. Picture: Chris Knight

The Marshalls drove Mr Grotes toward his property and he was taken aback when they rounded a rise and saw a small army of searchers and bumper to bumper emergency vehicles with lights flashing on Newee Creek Rd.

“My god, what’s happening here?” Mr Grotes said.

Safely back home and recovered enough that he was out mending fences two days later, Mr Grotes said he bought his farm as a 22-year-old in 1964 – and was never lost during his five-hour ordeal.

Mr Grotes’ legs and feet were a feast for leeches. Picture: Chris Knight

“I was worried though, not for myself, but for Brigitte. When I got through the bush I decided I would follow a ridge line to get out because I wasn’t going to go back in there (the jungle) again,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of accidents (in the past) but I knew I would be right. If I was a horse they would have shot me long ago.”

Ms Grotes said she was relieved to have her husband back home, but told police when the search was at its height: “When I see him I give him a clip behind the ears”.

Erwin and Brigitte Grotes back home after their ordeal. Picture: Chris Knight

“But now I feel quite embarrassed about the whole bloody thing,” she said.

The Grotes said they were beyond thankful to their neighbours, emergency services and particularly Mr Marshall.

Mr Grotes, still nursing open sores where leeches locked onto his legs and feet, protected only by a pair of well-worn Crocs, said he used to own the land which has grown wild, and is riddled with snakes.

“It would be a good place for an army exercise,” he laughed.

“As anyone who can go in there and come out will have passed the test.”