FOR LUNCH AND DINNER A FEW OF INSECTS: the story of Daniel Dudzisz

by Kyt Lyn Walken

Almost one hundred kilometers. This is the stretch in which, between Windorah and Jundah, in 2014, the twenty-six year old German Daniel Dudzisz (NDR: see the cover photo) gets lost. He is on vacation in Australian Queensland, alone. He has longed for this trip in complete solitude for years, studying books and manuals on websites, geographic and wildlife characteristics.
In some way, the young German is fascinated by it to the limits of obsession, so much so that he does not even want a local guide with him. The environment, as we have already seen in a previous article, is inhospitable and on the verge of endurance even for the natives, who keep away from that vast and desolate area that they have called “Outback” for centuries.
Those who get lost are unlikely to return. There are rumors of mysterious disappearances, of merciless struggles to survive in an environment that has little to offer in terms of natural resources. Temperatures are frighteningly hot during the day and then plummet during the night. Without the proper equipment, getting out alive is nothing short of impossible.
Yet Daniel decides that this is his goal, responding to an almost ancestral call. He is not a fool, but his experience has been consolidated only in the forests of his nation, far from the scenarios of the southern hemisphere.

Perhaps invariably, given the conditions, Daniel loses his bearings. And the inhospitable Outback becomes, almost in a larger drawing, his home for two weeks. During his crossing on foot, in fact, the German is surprised by sudden floods: having lost the points of reference, he finds himself wandering in a hallucinatory search for a road. Understanding the seriousness of the situation, and not having enough food with him, Daniel falls back on the decision to eat insects – mainly flies, he will report later – and to drink stagnant water. These are strong choices, dictated by desperation, many Survivalists will rightly say.
But the student does them, and carries them on with the strenuous belief that he has no other chance to get out of that situation.
After fourteen days, a motorcyclist rescues him and gives him first aid. His story, also told to the doctors, is incredible: Daniel is a true survivor, but also, and above all, a stubborn young man.
He claims, in fact, that he miraculously came out alive, but also that he has every intention of repeating his undertaking, alone but armed with greater awareness of the risks of the territory and of the unforeseen events that a solo undertaking can hide.
And what would you have done? This is the question that arises spontaneously at the end of reading an incredible story like that of Daniel Dudzisz.

We cannot afford to ignore the risks and dangers of an exploration as well as a simple hike in the woods. This is why it is important to be prepared, to have – and cultivate – the right mentality and to bring with you tools and provisions that can guarantee our livelihood. This is why Bivo has created a protein meal that is at the same time light to carry and immediate in its preparation!

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