Morning:
8°c
Backpacker backlash as boy's father denies bush ordeal was a hoax
Frank Thorne in Sydney and Kiran Randhawa16.07.09
The family of London backpacker Jamie Neale today angrily hit back at claims generated by the Australian media that his miracle survival is a hoax.
Jamie Neale emerged gaunt and scratched but in relatively good health after spending 12 days lost in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, in New South Wales.
But some have questioned his incredible tale of survival, suggesting the ordeal was a money-making scam after celebrity agents said the 19-year-old from Muswell Hill could pocket up to £500,000 for his story. His father,
Richard Cass, insisted the claims were untrue and said he will give any money raised to the rescue organisations who searched for his son and the Blue Mountains Hospital at Katoomba that is caring for him.
“My boy's no hoaxer. If you want to give me a cheque, it's got to go to the Blue Mountains Rescue Service or the Anzac Hospital,” he told Australia's Seven Network. “I don't want any of this. I do not seek publicity. I don't want to be part of a celebrity culture.
“I just want my boy back and that's worth a million dollars to me.”
View Jamie Neale in a larger map
Police have said they have no reason to question the teenager's account. They say doctors believe he is suffering injuries consistent with being lost in the bush for an extended period.
Superintendent Anthony McWhirter said: “The incredible is always hard to believe. But we've had survivors that have survived a lot longer without food and water, in earthquake zones with people pulled out from under rubble. It's incredible, but it's true.”
Rescue experts said although Jamie, who is due to study government and politics at Exeter University in October, made a number of mistakes which could have cost him his life, he also stuck to basic survival techniques.
Superintendent McWhirter said Jamie's euphoric mood at being rescued had gone from relief to recrimination to hunger and “awe that he's been rescued and he's alive”.
He added that Jamie's day walk of 10km to the lookout known as the Ruined Castle and a further 6km to Mount Solitary and back to Katoomba town in the dark was his big mistake.
Doctors said Jamie's condition was stable but he will not be allowed to leave hospital until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest. He is being treated for exposure and dehydration. The gap-year student, who survived on berries and leaves for 12 days, asked for a hamburger as his first meal following his rescue.
Mr Cass, a teacher from Watford, said his son, who he described as being “depressed” after his ordeal, was yet to crack a smile.
He added: “He's been to hell and back. You'd think he'd be happy ... maybe he's a bit fragile. It's difficult to take in and know what to do.”
Reader views (35)
As one of the many volunteers from the NSW Emergency Services that searched for Jamie I dont care either way whether its a hoax or not, we were asked to conduct a search for a missing persona and as all emergency services do when they get a call they respond whether its a false alarm or not they still turn up and get on with the job... If its a hoax good on him for getting away with who are we to just the motive or the reasons for it: if its truth then it shows the human spirit can endure hardships and it gives people some from of hope that good can come from adversity.
As for the whinging aussie stuff and the decendents from criminals remember it was britain who transported the convicts in the first place against their will but enough of the history cause to be honest i dont care one bit what how or who thinks who are the bigger whingers in the world poms or aussies cause in my experience we are all ad as each other in alot of respects this is also in the racism department as well.... no culture is perfect least of all the anglo-saxon which makes up both Australia, the UK, NZ, USA and many others nations from the old British Empire so I say live and let live and be thankful for who we are and what we have without comparisons its all garbage in my opinion and really is not important in the grander scheme of life or the world for that matter.
Anyway enough from me and rememeber smile the next day can and may be a better one than the last
- Terry, blue mountains
Does any one remember the last person that went missing in the Aussie bush....He was never found ...and the Aussie press said the wife had killed her husband for the insurance money...but what a load of bull shine!!!
- Jack, London, England
So what if it was a hoax which I doubt. You lot are priceless. The Beckhams and Jordan make millions by peddling absolute nonsense but not one of you raise an eyebrow.
- Michael Riley, London
I don't believe it was a hoax. I just think he was incredibly stupid and I certainly wouldn't want to read any 'survival' stories from him. He was very lucky and that doesn't cancel out his stupidity. His parents should keep him on a long leash until he has matured a little.
- Paul, Rochester UK
I have no idea if his story is true or not but I do know a couple of other things: it's not easy to get a mobile phone signal in the Blue Mountains, particularly where he was hiking. There is water in the Blue Mountains that is ok for drinking. I've only lived here a year but can attest to the fact that this is one racist, xenophobic country with appallingly bad media.
- Judi, sydney
Well at least Australia is not in a mess and we are not in a recession so that says it all!
- Kevin, Perth, West Australia
at least he wasnt eaten by a dingo
- Bruce Van Diemen, toronto canada
The family looked like they needed the money, it was probably planned, no one with a brain goes into the Australian bush without a mobile phone. some people will do anything to make money. disgusting
- Jackie, malaga spain
Ray, Sydney, thank goodness for your good sense and your constructive contribution to the debate on the australian media.
- Elliot, Brighton
Perhaps the Australian police and rescue services ought to have the chap pay for the costs of searching for him. I'm sure there are more important things for the police to do than have to go looking for one careless tourist getting lost in the bush.
- Mrmugambo, London
If you don't want to be found - best don't take your mobile!
- Jakx, England UK
The Bush experts dont go for it and I would trust them with my life out there. Most countries experience of Brits nowadays would have caused the same reaction. He doesnt look like he has been to hell and his father isnt convincing either. The only trauma I see is in the boy in relation to his father who I suspect thought this up.
- Amazonmothe, hasting
Why didn't he just head towards the nearest street light?
The Blue Mts aren't exactly the Chilterns, but they're not the Mato Grosso either.
- Mdj E10, london uk
As a Pom living Sydney; I have just one thing to say. Why the hell don't you all shut up and grow up. Reading these letters is like listening to a pack of kids squabbling.
- Ray, Sydney
Give the Aussie media a free head-check, along with the conspiracy theorist nutters who still maintain that the Americans didn't land men on the moon.
- Ted, London
Elliot is obviously right, Fredrick is a dickension villan
- Tony Magdee, London
I wonder if those here accusing the Australian's of being racist, xenophobic have the wit to appreciate the irony of their comments... hmmm, I suspect not but most xenophobes aren't that bright.
- Nj, London
Richard of Harrow - you are so right, the Australians are the biggest whingers on the face of the earth!
This story just confirms to me something else I had always suspected: that we are fundamentally much tougher than they are and they know it. That's why they can't believe this story is true, because they know an Australian couldn't have endured what this poor young man did. If it had been one of them they'd have made him a national hero instantly. But then let's face it, they haven't got many others, only Rolf Harris!
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
i honestly think the whole thing is just yet another hoax for those who seek somekind of perverted fame and fortune. jamie neale tells his story, but we are at the mercy of his truth or lies since none of us have been where he claims he was "lost" or "marooned" in the outback or the australian bush. the aussies say what they think and i think they're right to state their views on the "ordeal" of jamie neale. they know a hoax when they see one and although i am not a aussie i can see how they think after visiting wonderful australia last xmas. it never fails to make me wonder why such survival stories are almost always with only one person involved and never with any other witnesses to verify what we're told. i can get lost any time i want and then claim i survived something that i deliberately engendered to dupe newspapers into buying my "unbelieveable" story for several thousands of big bucks ... so, who really knows the truth about jamie neale? nobody, but him!! truly, uncle monty.
- Unclemonty, s.e. london.
There's an old phrase - we hate most in other people what we hate most about ourselves. The Australians call us Whinging Poms but I have never known a bunch of people who love to moan more than anyone else in the world - the Australians. The Sydney newspapers, The Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald, are gratuitously racist - see how they conveniently forgot to mention that the British gave more money to the tsunami relief funds than any other country for example, not to mention their appalling racism towards Muslims - and this is just another excuse to bash the Brits. Apart from that, and their politics, Australia is a wonderful wonderful place.
- Richard, Harrow
Elliot of Brighton what silly comments you make. You are obviously a schoolboy.
- Frederick, London
Six years ago, a similar thing happened to me in the Blue Mountains, I stupidly went on the wrong "trek" and found myself alone and not a clue where I was going or how to get out. Luckily 2 hours later, a guy from the NZ army who was on training manoeuvres jogged past, found me wandering aimlessly really distressed and walked me to the nearest lift which was a 2 and a half hour hike away. If he hadn't come along, I would certainly have been a casualty and incidentally, I did have my mobile phone but couldn't get any signal whatsoever.
- Glyn, Enfield
Thick Australian's strike again. God knows why anyone would want to go to that backward, racist country in the first place.
- Serox, London
"who is due to study government and politics"
Well, he certainly seems intellectually predisposed to be a politician.
- Bob, Cheam
Thanks Elliot - and sorry to break it to you that I do not live in Australia, nor am I Australian. As for my experience - how can you judge it/me - you don't know my background. By insisting Australians are criminal descendants you are showing your true ignorance. So have your years within the Australian media game rubbed off on you OR is it just your ignorant British roots?? 
We could go on all day, but I have a life.
- Ds, Surrey
Ds, Surrey (or is that Sydney) thanks for the history lesson, I thought ozzies came from outta space, not Britain, maybe you should remind them all that they are basically British, they love that, they really really do. Having worked for the Australian governemt in PR and having years of media relations experience in the UK I feel i can judge their media and judge them harshly I shall. The british media is so much more proffessional and much more intelligent than any criminal's descendents pretend journalist. I can say this because I have experience, maybe Ds should get some too before pipping up.
- Elliot, Brighton
Yeah, whinging Aussies that have forgotten their origins. Still, not a bad idea for a scam.
- Prototypical Englishman, Wormwood Scrubs
My first thought was, he looks too well to have been twelve days without food and water. I still think that.
- Martin, London
Clearly, they like a good conspiracy theory in Australia (remember the hounding of Joanne Lees).
- Sandeep, Oxford
And they call us whinging poms - twice in a week Aussies have been complaining about nonsense. Try and report on real news.
- Natalie, London
GMTV, Today, News24, Five Live - it'll soon start and we'll be subject to Morons Inc. again as we sit and listen to a loser and how he survived his intrepid journey into the unknown.
Well, it's not all unknown. I mean mobile phones, GPS trackers and maps, they're not unknown, except to losers as I hinted at.
- Chris Williams, Cardiff
Elliot, Birmingham - just so you know Australia's 'criminal forefathers' as you call them came from Britain.
I don't doubt the poor boy's story but I think you should think about what you say about the "Australian" media......don't single them out the UK media is just as bad.
- Ds, Surrey
Shame on those who doubt the guys sincerity. So if you are rescued from the Aussie bush what do these people want? an arm or a leg chewed off by a pack of dingos as proof of your ordeal. The guy has been extremely fortunate in coming back in one piece, the rescue services put all their resources into finding him and should be applauded for the way they responded.
If someone has offered him a fee for his story then thats not his fault, but because they have it does not make him into a fraud.
- Mick Andrews, north east lincolnshire
At last, someone who say clearly that not everyone wants money and to become an F list 'celebrity'. This should have been a good news story which quickly went away, leaving the family to resume a normal life. Instead, the media just can't help themselves in stirring up doubt etc. If the Australian papers continue to wrongly suggest some form of fraud or cheating I hope that they are sued and the damages can also go to the rescue centre and hospital.
- Clive, Chichester
Typical Australian media, get the stroy wrong and accuse a decent British lad as being as crooked as the australian's criminal forefarthers. I mean, anyone whose ever read an ozzie paper knows how backward their news media is - like wathcing anchorman (starring will ferrell). The xenephoibic australians need to get a life and stop whinging.
- Elliot, Brighton
