An elderly man has endured days stranded next to a dam in the Gympie region, after his tractor became bogged.
It’s believed he may have fallen while attempting to step off the vehicle, and also suffered a suspected medical episode during the ordeal on a Carters Ridge property on Sunday afternoon.
The 95-year-old wasn’t found until Tuesday morning, covered in mud, but alive.
QAS Operations Supervisor Shaun Bright says paramedics found him around 7am.
“He was in an altered conscious state when we got to him. He was obviously covered heat-to-toe in mud and in water. He’s obviously been laying out in the weather for quite some time, so it was pretty distressing for our crews to see.”
The elderly man was found to be suffering from hypothermia and severe dehydration.
He was taken to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Mr Bright says he’s clearly a very tough human.
“Obviously he’s a very stoic gentleman. He works on the property by himself. As far we’re aware, tends to the property most of the time without assistance, so it was quite good to see that he was doing relatively ok.”
