Missing hiker ‘lucky’ to be alive

A hiker who went missing at a popular Queensland nature park was only hours away from dying when he was discovered by emergency services.

Rory Lane was hiking with a friend along West Canungra Creek Circuit in Lamington National Park on Saturday afternoon when the pair became separated.

Police and emergency services, including helicopters and SES crews, were involved in a large-scale search inside the popular park looking for Mr Lane.

Shortly before noon on Monday, emergency crews found Mr Lane with critical injuries at a base of a cliff, almost two days after he went missing.

The Courier Mail reported Mr Lane was found by a member of the public with head, facial, and possible spinal injures before being flown to Gold Coast University Hospital.

Queensland Police Senior Sergeant Mitchell Gray told the Today show on Monday that emergency services who found Mr Lane were concerned about possible hypothermia.

“The temperatures were from zero to 19 degrees over the 48 hours he was missing,” Sergeant Gray said.

“When we found him he was hypothermic. I think he was only a couple of hours away from passing away.

“He was in and out of consciousness, some bad injuries, and had been bleeding.

“We were lucky we got him when we did.”

Sergeant Gray said Mr Lane’s family were happy when they learnt the news that he had been found alive.

“They were over the moon and thankful to the volunteers and the members of the community who assisted (in the search),” he said

More than 60 people had been involved in the search for Mr Lane inside Lamington National Park, a popular hiking spot near the Gold Coast.