Naked and afraid: Lost tourist’s fear of dingoes leads to wild police chase

A lost Mexican tourist, whose fear of dingoes sparked a wild chain of events, has spoken out about the night he spent naked and afraid on the world’s largest sand island.

A Mexican tourist has told of how he found himself naked, afraid and lost on Fraser Island.

Oscar Daniel Sierra Rosas made headlines after leading police in a wild chase while high on a cocktail of mushrooms, marijuana and berries.

He had been reported missing from the campsite where he was staying with friends and was later found by police in the bushes, naked and covered in urine to mask his smell out of fear he would be attacked by dingoes.

The startling details were read out in Hervey Bay Magistrates Court last month which heard the drug-affected tourist had also fled police and tried to hold an officer under the water before being restrained.

He pleaded guilty to two counts of serious assault police and two counts of serious assault public officers.

Speaking exclusively to the Chronicle this week, Mr Rosas, who before this incident had no criminal history, shared his side about how the night of terror unfolded and led to his offending.

Mr Rosas said his fear of the dingoes had grown out of his dislike for the wild dogs in Mexico, which roamed the street and chased him on his bike.

When he visited Fraser Island, he was already suffering from depression after being stuck in the Melbourne COVID-19 lockdown, losing his business and living in fear he would lose his new job.

As he result, he was smoking ‘pot’ regularly.

While on Fraser Island Mr Rosas said his frame of mind was already in a bad place when he found himself unable to sleep as a result of his fear of the island’s wild animals.

“I was really paranoid about that,” he said.

“The first night camping I didn’t sleep because I was keeping watch for that.”

The next day, naked and intoxicated, Mr Rosas became lost.

Oscar Daniel Sierra Rosas, who had no prior criminal history, pleaded guilty to two counts of serious assault police and two counts of serious assault public officers when he appeared in court on Thursday.

He climbed a tree but had no food on him as he had discarded it, thinking the dingoes were following him.

He had urinated on himself, thinking it would disguise his scent.

“Very hungry”, Mr Rosas ate mushrooms and berries which he thought would give him energy.

Instead he believes the mushrooms made him “go really crazy”.

When the officers spoke to Rosas’ friends, they told them he was manic depressive and hadn’t been taking his medication.

Police called in Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service rangers and paramedics to assist with the search.

Mr Rosas was located naked in bushland area.

He was “resting and calm” when he was waiting in a vehicle to be transported off the island.

But Mr Rosas then said he needed to urinate and jumped out of the vehicle, into the sea.

An altercation ensued between Rosas and the officers, who were unable to grab him because he was naked and wet.

One officer attempted to use capsicum spray, but it was ineffective.

The standoff continued for about half an hour, the court heard, with Rosas continuing to run back into the water.

The court heard Mr Rosas first punched one officer who was trying to give assistance before he pushed a police officer under water for a number of seconds.

The officer punched Rosas in the face a number of times before again being forced under water, the court was told.

Mr Rosas continued to resist the officers until Hervey Bay Water Police arrived and an officer came to the assistance of the other men.

But as the officer tried to gain control over Mr Rosas, he was bitten by the tourist on the right lower forearm, the court heard.

The officers gained enough control to move him to the beach and Mr Rosas was injected with a sedative.

He then spat in the face of the paramedics assisting him, the court was told.

Mr Rosas was strapped down on a bed and taken off the island on the police boat.

He was sentenced to three months in prison, wholly suspended for 12 months and ordered to complete 12 months probation.

Now staying at Airlie Beach Mr Rosas said he was still enjoying his time in the Sunshine State despite his ordeal.

In court he had credited the incident for helping him beat his depression.

“Life has changed,” Mr Rosas said.

“I’m so grateful.”

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Originally published as Naked and afraid: Lost tourist’s fear of dingoes leads to wild police chase