Townsville retiree lost in forest forms unlikely bond with rescuer
A Townsville man who went missing for three days during a motorbike ride in Clemant State Forest has forged a surprising new friendship with his rescuers. Here’s what happened.
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A Townsville man who went missing for three days during a motorbike ride in Clemant State Forest has forged a surprising new friendship with his rescuers.
Idalia retiree James Hayes, 62, set out for an afternoon ride on Thursday, June 13, in the 5430-ha forest north of Townsville.
He told his wife, Tanya, of his plans, but when night fell and he hadn’t returned, she raised the alarm, and a search began the next day.
The challenging terrain of the forest tested Queensland Police off-road motorcycle officers, prompting them to enlist a group of civilian motorbike riders familiar with the area.
The volunteers eventually found Mr Hayes’s bike abandoned about 11km down Bluewater track on Friday evening.
“I got lost and left my bike to find water,” Mr Hayes recounted.
“I was exhausted. I found a creek and camped there the first night. It was cold and I was shivering, but I was OK.”
Mr Hayes said he had mistakenly believed the remote track he was on would join up with Forestry Rd.
“I thought I’d eventually find it, but it didn’t join up at all, which I know now,” he said.
“It’s a rough track, an old logging track from the 70s. You couldn’t see anything from the canopy of the trees.”
On Friday, he walked about 11km before camping out again. The next morning, he heard helicopters searching the ridge.
It wasn’t long after that civilian rider Rohan Merchant found him near the track intersection to Mount Halifax.
The riders gave Mr Hayes food and water until Rescue 521 could winch him out of the area.
“I didn’t know them, but coincidentally, the guy who found me, Rohan, his wife is actually a friend of my wife through work,” Mr Hayes said.
“He came over to me, shook my hand, and said, ‘I know Tanya.’ Because I’d lost my filter after a couple of nights in the forest, I said, ‘Of course you f***ing do.’
“My wife is one of those people who knows a lot of people.”
The two men later met up for a BBQ and even got matching T-shirts that said: “I know Tanya.”
Mr Hayes expressed deep gratitude for his rescuers and everyone who worked to reunite him with his family.
Rohan Merchant and his fellow riders Darcey Heilbronn, Luke Heilbronn, Shannon Camac, and Wayne Merchant were awarded the Queensland Police Service’s District Officer’s Certificate of Appreciation for their heroics.
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