The uncle of a four-year-old girl who was found alive after two days missing in bushland has described the family's relief that she was located by search parties.
Key points:
- Shayla Phillips' uncle, Tyrone Page, says it has been an "overwhelming" and "hectic" 48 hours for the family
- SES search crews were heard cheering when Shayla was found in bushland on the Tasman Peninsula
- Bushwalker Dan Broun says it is easy to get lost in such terrain and the mild weather has been on the four-year-old's side
Tyron Page was waiting outside the Royal Hobart Hospital last night when Shayla Phillips was brought in by ambulance for medical assessment.
Mr Page was overcome by emotion when speaking about the experience.
"It was the hardest 48 hours of the whole family's life, to be honest. It's been hectic," he said.
'I've spoken to her mum. I've seen video of Shayla, she was asleep … she's OK.
"All the support, everyone [who has] been there, the SES, police from Victoria … on behalf of me and the family, we can't thank everyone enough.
'We're relieved. We had faith. We didn't stop believing. We knew she was coming home. We had to. We knew she was coming home and she's home."
Mr Page was yet to visit Shayla in hospital.
The family's relief was shared by the searchers, the Tasman Peninsula community and people around Australia.
As the news spread that Shayla had been found, SES search crews were heard cheering.
"It's a phenomenal feeling, like everyone was giving themselves pats on the back and cheering and clapping when they came back out [of the bush]. It's amazing after this [time]," SES's Mark Dance said.
"We've been here for three days, we've had in excess of 150 SES volunteers going, like 24 hours, around the clock. So to have this outcome is amazing."
Vicki Skeggs from the local Country Women's Association — which had been on hand to help feed emergency crews — said there was much relief in their hall.
Concern grew for Shayla's wellbeing had been growing the longer it took to find her, especially given how remote the area is.
Experienced bushwalker and nature photographer Dan Broun said the terrain of the Tasman Peninsula is varied, ranging from wet gullies and rain forest right through to dry open eucalypt forest.
"I imagine where Shayla was, it would have been a lot more dense — like a dense understorey of tea-tree scrub, and that sort of stuff, mixed under, perhaps, a taller forest of eucalypt," he said.
"The dense scrub actually helps things. If it's not wet, it's going to help her, because she could basically burrow in underneath it."
Temperatures in the area reached around 11 degrees Celsius both nights, which Mr Broun said was warmer than usual for March.
"We've had a really mild autumn, generally, so normally this time of year we could be getting down to zero (degrees C)."
"She was really lucky with the weather … if she had sub zero — even zero overnight — or, if she had've gotten herself wet … then she could've got hypothermic quite easily."
Mr Broun said anyone can get lost "really easily".
While snakes and giant spiders are usually thought of as the biggest dangers in Tasmania's wilderness, Mr Broun said it is actually the small things that pose the biggest threat.
"It's quite dry. It's perfect ant country," he said.
"So, potentially, she could've suffered quite a few ant bites, jackjumpers [a type of bull ant].
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiXGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmFiYy5uZXQuYXUvbmV3cy8yMDIyLTAzLTI2L3NoYXlsYS1waGlsbGlwcy1zdXJ2aXZhbC1vZGRzLWluLWhlYXZ5LWJ1c2gvMTAwOTQwNDM00gEA?oc=5
2022-03-25 19:15:37Z
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