Robert Bogucki (born 1966) is an American firefighter from Alaska notable for having survived 43 days in Western Australia's Great Sandy Desert before being rescued. He had headed into the desert deliberately on a spiritual quest. [1] [2]
The Sandfire Roadhouse is 1,900 kilometres (1,200 mi) north of Perth in Western Australia. It is on the Great Northern Highway between Port Hedland and Broome, 20 kilometres (12 mi) from the coast. Bogucki left the roadhouse on 11 July 1999, initially on his bicycle. He intended to cross the Great Sandy Desert to Fitzroy Crossing. Police were called after his bicycle and a pile of clothes were found next to a track. [2]
Two Aboriginal trackers were called in to help, and a large search party searched for Bogucki but police called off the initial search for Bogucki 28 days after he had entered the desert, having damaged several vehicles and having found no trace of him. [2]
Family members hired a group of specialist trackers from the US to continue the search, and soon found fresh evidence that Bogucki had survived at least that long. [3]
Bogucki was found by a Channel Nine news helicopter on 23 August 1999 in Western Australia's Edgar Ranges, 400 kilometres (250 mi) away from where he set off. [4] Bogucki's subsequent treatment by the Channel Nine crew raised questions as to the extent to which they had ignored his well-being in order to secure an exclusive news story. Channel Nine's crew filmed an interview with Bogucki on the spot, then flew him back to Broome (instead of the nearby search camp). [5] With there only being four seats in the helicopter, West Australian photographer Robert Duncan was left behind with a bottle of water and an EPIRB. [6] [7] After going without food for about six weeks and water for twelve days, Bogucki had lost 30 kilograms (66 lb) during the ordeal. [8] He found water by digging and straining mud, but also drank from stagnant pools. Later he took to eating flowers and plants. Medical staff at Broome Hospital said his physical condition was "remarkable". [4]
Bogucki's story and the search for him were made into an episode of the three-part ABC series Miracles, entitled "Miracle in the Desert". [8]
Robert Duncan, West Australian photographer, won the 1999 Daily News Centenary Prize WA Media Awards [9] (informally known as the Gold Award, or the WA Journalist of the Year) for his involvement, photos and coverage of the search.
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