Teenage Triathlete Rescued After Taking Wrong Turn and Running 30 Miles Through Mountains: ‘I Forgot to Turn Around’

A 17-year-old runner has been found after going missing during a triathlon training camp in New South Wales, Australia.

On Tuesday, Jan. 13, Sydney teen Bohdi Jackson was on a 5-mile run in Kosciuszko National Park when he pulled ahead of his group, took a wrong turn and kept going, according to Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and news.com.au.

Jackson said he didn’t realize he was off course for a couple of hours — in part because he was listening to “very loud” rap music, as reported by ABC.

“I went a bit too far and forgot to turn around and kept on running,” he told ABC. “And I got lost.”

“At like 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) in, [I realized I was lost] and I wasn’t going to turn around there because then you have to do 24 kilometres (15 miles),” he added. “I just kept on going.”

When Jackson didn’t make it back to the Cascade Trail entrance, members of his running group contacted authorities.

Jackson, meanwhile, continued moving in hopes of reaching a road where he could get help.

“I took a bunch of breaks, it was like every 2 kilometres (1.2 miles),” he told ABC. “I was swimming in the river water a bit to cool down.”

He added that he later learned the water wasn’t safe to drink. “I might have diarrhea,” he said.

Police said a multi-agency search was launched involving NSW Police, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the NSW Rural Fire Service, and the SES. The search took about seven hours, ABC reported.

“Following extensive inquiries including a geo-text message and a multi-agency search, with the assistance from SES, NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, the boy was located on a walking trail, approximately 30km away from where he was last seen,” police said in a press release.

According to ABC, Jackson eventually came across a mountain bike rider and used her phone to call authorities. ABC reported he was about 18.6 miles from the run’s starting point when he was found. He was then airlifted by helicopter back to his group and assessed by ambulance crews.

“They hooked me up and they pulled me up onto the helicopter,” he said. “It was very cool — it was very loud.”

Jackson told ABC that his legs were “very tired” but that he felt okay, adding that his post-rescue wish list included “a steak and a choccy milk” — and, he joked, maybe “a long run tomorrow.”

In the police statement, Detective Inspector Ritchie Sim urged visitors to plan carefully before heading into the Alpine area.

“While the Kosciuszko National Park is in a beautiful place to enjoy bushwalking, it can be a dangerous place if you do not plan your trip carefully,” Sim said. “Bushwalkers are urged to always submit trip intention form to the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services and to have suitable clothing, and carry sufficient water and food.”

He also advised people to check conditions, tell someone their plans and carry a personal locator beacon (PLB), noting that mobile reception can’t be relied on in the park.