Missing Gary Tweddle Book Part 21 – CHAPTER 8: GARY ‘LOST IN DARKNESS’

As we have highlighted, the physical road chosen by Gary, Sublime Point Road, is very dark at night such that Gary had to use his smartphone torch feature to navigate walking along the road in such pitch black physical darkness.

Then starting with his frequent use of his mobile phone probably during the course of the day, such as contacting his would be drug dealer in Sydney, then his 17 minute phone call to his colleagues back at the Fairmont, then his constant use of his phone torch light to navigate along the road, his battery went flat.

Gary stated “light on a hill” that he observed in the distance and that he sort to reach it.  It was in his mind his escape from this darkness he had found himself immersed in.

But he clearly wasn’t thinking straight nor rationally.  Once he made another bad decision depart West Street and entered into dense scrub, and his phone battery died, with no torch light he would have been plunged into complete darkness – not even able to see his hand in front of his face.

Our personal darkness experience in the ‘wilds’: 

As an aside, when this author undertook tertiary ‘Outdoor Recreation’ hiking training courses (2014, 2016), one has never forgotten a salutary lesson from during a multi-day hiking trip our student group was provided with a brief reality check of trying to walk in the natural bush at night with no light whatsoever.

I couldn’t see even my hand in front of my face to be able to take even one step without risking the thought of hitting something hard and hurtful. I was like in a cave totally blinded.

On another trip, one decided at a walk-in bush camp at turn-in to replenish one’s drinking water bottle from a small creek running quietly just 20 metres away accessible on level ground through walkable scrub – a no brainer?   Sensibly, one had already donned a head torch (pre-tested and with new batteries) and was turned on.

Yet, about half-way to the creek, the head torch failed.  It was unexpectedly pitch black.  The creek flow was not audible, all camp lights were off – so one had no directional bearings.  Again, one couldn’t even see our hand in front of our face to be able to take one step.

What do do?  One could embarrassingly call out back to camp for help?

So, in somewhat a desperate hope that it was just an minor wiring connection problem, one took the head torch off and shook it a bit.  That worked. “Few, life saver!”  And we fetched our water returned safely back to camp.

But it was a scary wake-up call.

When hiking, even if intending just a day-trip, one now always carries two head torches, each with new batteries and pre-tested on the day of every hike.  Also, an hour or so before sunset (not later when twilight ends) always don a headtorch and know where one’s critical backup #2 is safely/reliably on one’s person and within easy reach.  It may safe your life.  And being embarrassed calling for help is the least of your problems.

This personal experience allows us to again relate a tad to Gary’s very brief one.

 

Gary, in those last few minutes struggling through what was about 100 metres of thick scrub proceeding around 30 degrees downslope, would have become suddenly seriously emotional upon becoming lost in darkness alone.  This unbeknownst before even realising his ill-fated end ahead.

And we’ve learned of his tragic outcome.

Gary’s 25 metre fall down the cliff and crash-landing into the canopy of that big tree meant that his death was likely (hopefully) quick, if not instant.  That could be the only positive.
It is a dark tale that he lay there for almost seven weeks before his body was discovered. Other missing persons have never been recovered.
The ‘darkness’ also extends to many of the heartfelt feelings of the many search and rescue personnel, and particularly to the contributory unpaid local volunteers, both during the search having little information (in light of no results), and then afterwards reading about Gary’s sad connection with narcotics, that likely contributed to his demise.
The coroner would later find that Gary’s 23 metre fall off the cliff onto a large branch of a tree which punctured his lung was the cause of death, and ruled as death by misadventure.  But there was no evidence or suggestion that there was any motivation of suicide, just to make matters clear.   We say this because various theories were propositioned at the time by some guessing without foundation.
Gary’s personal situation discovery then became a new and unusual scenario for a Blue Mountains missing person search and rescue.  Such a criminal connection thus also contributed another angle of ‘darkness’ to this whole case.
Then by fluke, a training rescue helicopter crew, off scheduled track, but diligently considering this popular ‘Sweet Dreams’ cliff wall climbing site as a potential new place to conduct a future rescue of an injured climber.
One is getting spiritual here, or was this by-chance  diversion and discovery not from a different kind of ‘light’?
So, not that long after the official search for Gary was officially all called off and so outwith foresaken, exactly 3 weeks to the day this discovery literally ‘out-of the blue’ is more than one can fathom, and probably by all the rescuers who had committed to finding Gary.
It was for his faithfully praying loved ones.  And the more than 1000 souls committed to searching and saving Gary must have somehow made a difference beyond our tangible understanding.   Like, who’d have thought?  This is one’s only explanation, and we’re not exactly religious, but we respect faith.  Sweet Dreams indeed.
Gary’s loving girlfriend, Ms Anika Haigh, upon learning about Gary’s fate shared with close friends and family:
“the sun is beginning to rise on a day that we have all been hoping would never come”. 
Anika update on her Facebook page at the time:
“A body has been found in the area of Gary’s disappearance and today it will be retrieved and identified. Please know that nothing has been confirmed at this stage but I hope in a few hours we will have an answer either way. 
One thing I know for certain is that Gary will… come home one day – his fight, determination & ‘never give up’ attitude that we all loved so much about him will guide him. 
It is time to come home where you belong”.

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