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Man And Dog Survive 3 Weeks Lost In The Australian Bush

Written by: Molly Weinfurter
Molly Weinfurter is a writer for iHeartDogs, and she’s passionate about helping animals in need. She volunteers for Bailing Out Benji and a local dog rescue.Read more
| Published on February 3, 2021

Vacations are the ideal time to relax and live life to the fullest. But that’s difficult to do when every possible thing goes wrong. 58-year-old Robert Weber and his Bull Arab named Nessie got lost when visiting Kilkivan, Australia. And no, they didn’t just take a wrong turn or struggle to find their hotel. Instead, they ended up alone in the bushland with no food or water.

The pair was missing for about two weeks, but they became separated after only a few days. It’s a miracle that either of them made it out alive, but thankfully, they’re both safe now.

Nessie lost dog Australia
Image: Mung Bean Facebook

Vacation Gone Wrong

On January 6th, 2021, Weber’s car got bogged down while leaving his hotel. Nessie was the only one in the car with him. When he never arrived at his destination, he was reported missing. For three days, they stayed in the car, but their water supply ran out. That’s when Weber took matters into his own hands.

Weber exited the vehicle in an attempt to find his way back to civilization. Somewhere along the journey, he was separated from Nessie, making the situation even harder for the both of them. Weber said he survived by eating wild mushrooms and drinking water from the dam.

Local politician Tony Perrett found Weber’s empty vehicle on January 17th, but Weber and Nessie were nowhere to be seen. Even after officials called off the search, Perrett refused to give up. Sure enough, on January 24th, Perrett was found near a dam 18 days after he’d been reported missing. Perrett rushed to save him but then noticed that Nessie wasn’t with him.

Robert Weber Found
Image: Mung Bean Facebook

Weber was brought to the hospital but checked out healthy despite everything. While he recovered there, Perrett kept an eye out for the canine, who was still lost in the Australian bushland.

Two Brave Survivors

Thankfully, Perrett spotted Nessie on January 31st. She wandered around on his property and eventually neared his house. Like her dad, she had somehow survived weeks alone. She lost a lot of weight but seemed otherwise happy and healthy. She likely found food and water in nature just like Weber did. Weber was overjoyed when Perrett shared the good news with him.

“He was elated,” said Perrett. “Like everyone, he thought he’d never see the dog again but when I was able to make contact with him yesterday, he was most pleased that the dog had been found.”

Tony Perrett Saves Dog
Image: Mung Bean Facebook

Weber is still in the hospital, so Perrett agreed to care for Nessie in the meantime. Perrett hopes that the two can be reunited very soon. But for now, Nessie is in a comfortable environment where she can gain her weight back. Eventually, she and her dad will be ready to go on adventures again, as long as they’re more cautious from now on.

H/T: abc.net.au
Featured Image: Mung Bean Facebook

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