Ingleside: Brazilian tourist, Wagner Fernandes, 66, found alive after 48 hours lost in northern beaches scrub
A Brazilian tourist, missing for 48 hours in scrub after getting lost on the way to a supermarket on the northern beaches, has been found alive.
Manly
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The successful search for a Brazilian tourist who was lost for more than 48 hours in thick scrub on Sydney’s northern beaches has been hailed a “miracle” by his relieved family.
Wagner Fernandes, 66, who left his son’s home at North Narrabeen at 3pm on Wednesday, was found by State Emergency Service volunteers, standing on a muddy creek bank on an abandoned property in semirural Ingleside at 4.15pm on Friday.
Mr Fernandes, who had been in Sydney visiting family since June 20 and speaks little English, told his relatives that he was going to walk from their house on Rickard Rd to the Woolworths supermarket at Narrabeen.
When he did no return after several hours, his family alerted police. They told officers they suspected Mr Fernandes was showing the early signs of dementia during his stay with them.
A massive search was organised including the police helicopter and rescue squad as well as volunteers from the SES, Rural Fire Service and Surf Lifesaving clubs.
SES volunteers from other parts of the city were called in.
The family also started a concerted social media blitz, alerting locals to be on the lookout for the missing man.
Dozens of relatives and friends, some of them armed with megaphones, joined the two-day search which stretched from the northern and western shores of Narrabeen Lagoon to the back roads of Ingleside.
Police divers were called into search local dams while SES crew took to kayaks and surf lifesavers patrolled the lagoon in inflatable boats.
About 3.30pm on Friday a SES volunteer found an Ikea bag, that Mr Fernandes had left his son’s house with, outside a property on Wattle Rd, Ingleside — about 4km away.
Within minutes a team of SES volunteers started searching a nearby abandoned semirural property with a creek at its rear.
SES team leader Steve told the Manly Daily that he and three other SES personnel, walked along the creek bank and heard a man’s voice shout out.
“We saw Mr Fernandes standing on the creek bank, holding on to a tree branch,” Steve said
“As we went over to him, h said ‘I fell’, that’s all”.
They radioed for help and for a stretcher to carry the exhausted Mr Fernandes about 200m back to Wattle Rd.
Within minutes Mr Fernandes’ son Marcello, along with his friend Marco Martins, rushed to the property and embraced his dad.
He was suffering from exposure, dehydration and had sustained several minor cuts and abrasions.
He was able to speak with about a dozen family and friends who had gathered at the entrance to the property.
“It’s a miracle” one relative shouted when he was being carried over a fence by emergency services officers.
Marcello Fernandes said he was lost for words.
“We were so worried,” he said.
“I can’t find the words to thank everyone who helped find him.
“They were all fantastic”
Mr Fernandes was taken to hospital for examination.
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