Survival of Australian Boy Lost in Woods May Remain a Mystery

— -- Luke Shambrook is recovering in a Melbourne hospital after surviving alone in remote forest for four days, but how he survived may remain a mystery.

His pediatrician, Dr. Amy Gray, says the 11-year-old “is clearly still a bit weak and tired and as he gets energy he's starting to talk to his family and ask for things he would normally want.”

We may never have all the answers about how he managed in rugged terrain, without food or water over the Easter weekend. Temperatures in the mountains of Victoria plunged to near freezing at night and the area is full of potentially dangerous wildlife.

Luke has autism and severely limited communication skills, and is likely to struggle telling his parents and the police what must surely be an incredible story of survival. “I don't know that any of us know what he's been through but I think for all of us we think he's doing fabulously,” said Gray.

Details Emerge About Boy Lost in Woods

Authorities released dramatic video from a search helicopter of the moment Luke was spotted after 98 hours and 25 minutes in the wilderness.

He was discovered hungry and with hypothermia, but otherwise relatively unharmed. Rescuers on the ground were rushed to his side where they wrapped him in a foil blanket, and offered him a bread roll and water. Acting Victorian Chief Police Commission Tim Cartwright said it “brings a tear to the eye. You can’t imagine the response of our members when they first picked him up.”

Luke has not only been reunited with his family, but also his rescuers, who have visited him in the hospital. While many questions remain unanswered about how he coped, Luke’s family says he is fascinated with water and he also loves to hide in holes, of which there are plenty in the thick Australian forest.

One expert believes his autism may have affected his reaction to becoming lost. Autism expert Jenny Newman said, “His level of fear would not have been what ours was, that he was not actually engaging in being scared of his surroundings or being lost out in the bush.”

As remarkable as this survival story is, rescuers say it almost didn’t happen. Acting Sgt. Brad Pascoe, from the Victorian Police Air Wing, was the first to spot Luke in the thick scrub. “Just out of the corner of my eye I just caught a little flash of something,” he said. “It was enough to make me get the guys to turn the aircraft around and go back and have a further look.”

Luke walked off from the family campsite at 9:30 on Friday morning, the beginning of the Easter weekend. His survival has been described as an Easter miracle and his family are now clearly relieved. His uncle Peter Roberts said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the response and we’re very thankful that we live in a society that puts a lot of effort into finding children who go missing.”