Missing Queensland hiker 'hours' from death when he was spotted lying in creek bed
A hiker missing for days in thick bushland was just "hours away" from death, according to Queensland Police who rescued the injured 26-year-old after he fell from a cliff.
Rory Lane was seriously hurt, slipping in and out of consciousness and battling hypothermia when he was spotted by two hikers lying in water.
"I think he was only a couple of hours away from passing away," Senior Sgt Mitchell Gray told Today, explaining that temperatures had dropped close to zero in the two nights Lane had been lost in Lamington National Park, in the Gold Coast hinterland.
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Rory Lane was found lying injured in a creek bed, close to death 9News
"We're lucky we got him when we did."
A huge search was started on Saturday night after the Brisbane man got separated from a friend he was walking with along the West Canungra Creek Circuit.
While wandering solo, Lane slipped and fell five metres from a cliff.
The search involved about 60 people and several helicopters, but it was a pair of hikers who saw Lane lying in a creek bed on Monday morning.
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A huge search and rescue mission was started on Saturday night after Lane got split up from his friend 9News
A helicopter winched Lane to safety and he is now recovering in hospital.
Gray said Lane's family was "over the moon" he had been found.
"He was in and out of consciousness (had suffered) some bad injuries and had been bleeding."
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