A 30-year-old woman has been found alive after spending 17 days lost in the far north Queensland rainforest, surviving on river water, small fish, and insects. Shannon Leah Fraser emerged from the dense bush near the Golden Hole swimming spot, north-west of Innisfail, on Wednesday, severely sunburnt and dehydrated, having lost nearly 17 kilograms.
Fraser had visited the popular swimming hole with her partner three Sundays ago and became separated from him while following him on a walk through rugged terrain. Her brother, Dylan Fraser, told the ABC that she must have taken a wrong turn and got lost, with trees ripping off her clothes.
For 16 nights, Fraser cried herself to sleep but was motivated by thoughts of her three children to persevere. When sunburn became unbearable, she lay in a river for three days to soothe her skin. On the day she disappeared, she wore leggings, thongs, and a shirt, but emerged with little clothing and splinters in her feet.
A banana farmer eating breakfast at Golden Hole spotted Fraser emerging from the scrub and took her to Innisfail Hospital, where she remains in stable condition surrounded by family. Fraser had proposed to her boyfriend, Heath Cassady, two days before going missing.
