Family desperate to find a way home for son stuck in Argentina

A special Qantas flight from Argentina is set to bring home trapped Australians – but a Tasmanian teen stuck in the country says he has not heard anything from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade since the flight was first mentioned.

A TEENAGE Tasmanian traveller stuck in Argentina amid the coronavirus crisis fears he has been forgotten, as his family pleads with Australian authorities to help him get home.

Max Quick remains in a Buenos Aires apartment, where he has been in lockdown for more than three weeks due to local restrictions brought about by COVID-19.

It comes as the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade works with Qantas to finalise arrangements for a non-scheduled commercial flight from the South American country.

But the 19-year-old — who was on the trip of a lifetime when the global coronavirus outbreak worsened — said he had not heard anything from DFAT since the flight was first mentioned two weeks ago.

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Hobart’s Max Quick is stuck in Argentina during the coronavirus pandemic.

“I kind of feel like my mental health is degrading a bit,” he said. “Just having no one to talk to is the main thing, and not being able to see anyone. In that sense it’s very difficult to keep motivated to get out of bed in the morning and each day passes from one to the next.”

Max is passing the time by watching movies, playing guitar, cooking and sleeping.

He can only leave his apartment every few days to buy food or medical supplies.

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From left, Andrea, Andrew and Toby Quick, of Richmond. Picture: CHRIS KIDD

Back in Tasmania, his family is anxiously waiting for news while lobbying local politicians and DFAT.

“We just want him home,” father Andrew Quick said.

“He’s hanging in there, but of course he is wondering why it’s taking so long.”

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Mr Quick said he and his wife Andrea were worried about their son, who had raised concerns about his physical and mental health while in lockdown.

“We both understand we’re not the only ones,” he said.

“We understand the government in a crisis situation like this has so much to attend to, but we’re getting concerned.”

Mr Quick said it was a shame their son’s overseas adventure had been cut short by the coronavirus pandemic.

“We actually felt excited for him, simply because in our day there was no such thing as a gap year, and what a wonderful opportunity for kids in our generation to be able to do,” he said.

State independent member for Clark, Madeleine Ogilvie, said she had been working to try to secure Max support to get home.

“I have been in regular touch with Max and his family,” she said.