Lost UK tourist found in Outback - Again

eTN

Martin Lake, 50, a former trainee policeman from Birkenhead in England, was labelled the Bumbling Brit in the UK media just last week after spending three days lost on the edge of Alice Springs.

Alice Springs Bowling Club worker Rosemary Packham was yesterday dumbfounded after being told Mr Lake was apparently lost for a second time.

"He's a Wally," she said. "Surely you wouldn't be that silly to go and do the same thing again."

The Bumbling Brit yesterday sparked his second large scale search - involving three helicopters conservatively estimated to have cost Northern Territory taxpayers $10,000 - after becoming lost in the same area again. Police, Emergency Services volunteers and park rangers also took part in a ground search - as they did last time. Alice Springs Watch Commander Senior Sergeant Michael Potts said rescuers found Mr Lake late yesterday - after he had been missing for four days this time. "He was found in a slightly different location, approximately 4.6km from town," he said.

The hotel where Mr Lake was staying raised the alarm after the British tourist failed to check out last Friday. Police called the Bumbling Brit's mobile phone around lunchtime yesterday and he reported he had been lost in the same area as before since Friday. After getting co-ordinates from Telstra to narrow down the search field, police mounted their second large-scale air and ground search for the tourist in a week. Police search coordinator Graeme Farquharson said it was unlikely Mr Lake would have to pay for search costs. Senior Sergeant Farquharson - who spoke to the missing man on his mobile phone - said this would deter people from phoning police if they were in trouble. He said: "He told me he was somewhere north of Alice Springs and that's about it. I had to reassure him and tell him not to move anywhere.

"He didn't have a clue where he was." Sen-Sgt Farquharson said the man did not tell him if he had water. He said: "He was certainly very concerned. "After we rescued him last time he was told to exercise caution and he assured us he would." Snr Sgt Potts said it was disappointing to police they have had to rescue Mr Lake twice in such a short period. In the first rescue police eventually found Mr Lake on September 5 almost within shouting distance of the town after a widescale search using three helicopters.