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Ricky Megee (Australian Outback, 2006) — Man survived 71 days eating insects and plants. — Transcript

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0:00The Tsunami Desert stretches across
0:03184,500
0:05km of northwestern Australia,
0:09receiving less than 250 mm
0:12of annual rainfall and recording daytime
0:15temperatures that regularly
0:18exceed 40° C, 104° F, making it one of
0:24the driest and most hostile environments
0:26on Earth. On January 17th, 2006,
0:31a 35year-old Australian man named Ricky
0:34McGee, weighing 105 kg, 231 lb, claims
0:41he became stranded here without food,
0:43water, or any means of communication,
0:47and was discovered 71 days later on
0:50March 27th, 2006 by Stockman near Burand
0:54Dudu Station, having lost over 60 kg,
0:59more than half his body weight. Ricky
1:01McGee, wasn't an outdoorsman or survival
1:04expert. He was an ordinary Australian
1:08with a troubled past, including fraud
1:11convictions. By early 2006, he claimed
1:15to be turning his life around. Driving
1:18to Port Hedland for a construction job
1:21opportunity when disaster struck on the
1:23remote Boom Highway, the Tanami Desert
1:27covers an enormous
1:30184,500
1:32km of northwestern
1:35Australia. A vast wilderness of red
1:39earth and golden spin effects grass that
1:41locals sometimes
1:44call the land of no one. Hundreds of
1:46miles separate settlements.
1:49There is no cell phone reception and
1:51temperatures swing dramatically from
1:53scorching days to freezing nights,
1:57meaning rescue, if needed, could take
1:59days to arrive. Over time, Ricky
2:03provided different accounts of how he
2:05became stranded. First claiming his car
2:08broke down, then saying hitchhikers had
2:11drugged him, and in another version that
2:14attackers stole his vehicle. The truth
2:17may never be known, but what is
2:19undisputed is that on March 27th, 2006,
2:24Stockman from Beardu Station found him
2:26severely emaciated and close to death.
2:29The Tonomy Desert is named after the
2:32Tonomy Aboriginal Language Group who
2:34have navigated this harsh environment
2:37for over 40,000 years. Indigenous
2:40Australians developed sophisticated
2:42techniques to find water and food in
2:45this seemingly barren landscape.
2:48Knowledge of local plants, animals, and
2:51seasonal patterns passed down through
2:54generations that would prove vital for
2:56anyone lost here. Whatever the
2:59circumstances of his stranding, Ricky
3:02faced a brutal reality. Surviving in one
3:05of Earth's most hostile environments
3:08with no supplies, no experience, and no
3:11certainty of rescue. Most people in 40°
3:15C heat without water die within 3 days.
3:20Ricky's ordeal would last 71. According
3:24to Ricky's account, he woke up
3:27disoriented in the desert with nothing
3:29but the clothes he wore, a set of keys
3:33and loose change in his pockets.
3:36In any survival situation, priorities
3:39are clear, water first, shelter second,
3:44food third, and without water, death
3:47comes within days. Ricky claims he
3:51wandered the first day in a state of
3:53shock and confusion as the scorching sun
3:56beat down mercilessly.
3:58By afternoon, dehydration had begun to
4:01take hold, headaches, dizziness,
4:05thickening saliva, and darkening urine
4:08signaling his body was already in
4:10distress. His first stroke of luck came
4:13when he discovered a small dam. One of
4:16the artificial water catchments created
4:18for livestock on the vast cattle
4:20stations that dot the outback. That
4:23first drink was the best thing I've ever
4:25tasted in my life. McGee later recalled,
4:29"I didn't care what was in it or how bad
4:32it smelled. It was wet and that's all
4:35that mattered. The water was stagnant,
4:39filled with insects and algae. And in
4:42normal circumstances, drinking it risks
4:44severe illness from bacteria and
4:46parasites. But when the alternative is
4:49certain death from dehydration,
4:52such risks become acceptable. With his
4:55most immediate survival need addressed,
4:58Ricky faced another challenge. Shelter.
5:01The temperature swing in the desert is
5:04dramatic.
5:05Scorching days followed by surprisingly
5:08cold nights and without protection.
5:11This cycle is physically devastating.
5:14Using branches, leaves, and whatever
5:17materials he could gather, Ricky built
5:20what Australians call a humpy, a simple
5:24leanto structure providing basic
5:26protection from the elements. He dug
5:29slightly into the ground to create a
5:31depression, positioned larger branches
5:34as a frame, and wo smaller ones into
5:37walls to block the worst of the wind.
5:40>> "The humpy wasn't much," he said in
5:43later interviews, but it gave me some
5:46control over my situation.
5:48It meant I wasn't completely at the
5:51mercy of the environment. As days
5:53passed, Ricky established a perimeter
5:56within walking distance of the dam,
5:59learning the terrain and its limited
6:01resources.
6:03This decision to remain near a water
6:05source rather than attempting to walk
6:07out is controversial among survival
6:10experts.
6:12Some argue that in the Australian
6:14outback, striking out toward roads
6:16offers better rescue chances. But for
6:20Ricky, already weakened and with no idea
6:23which direction led to civilization,
6:27staying near reliable water ultimately
6:29proved the right choice.
6:32By day three, hunger had become Ricky's
6:35constant companion. The human body can
6:38survive weeks without food, but the
6:41process transforms from sharp, painful
6:44hunger into a hollow weakness that
6:47permeates every movement and thought.
6:50The tsunami desert appears barren to
6:53untrained eyes. But it does contain food
6:56sources for those desperate enough to
6:58find them. Near the dam, Ricky spotted
7:02small leeches. Not something most would
7:04consider food, but to a starving man, a
7:08potential source of protein. He
7:11described catching leeches by dangling
7:13his fingers in the water until they
7:15attached, then quickly pulling them out.
7:19The first one was revolting. It wriggled
7:21all the way down, and I wretched
7:23immediately after swallowing. He later
7:26told journalists.
7:28But after the first 10 or so, they
7:30almost started to taste okay, almost as
7:33days turned to weeks. Ricky expanded his
7:37survival diet through necessity and
7:39experimentation.
7:41Grasshoppers became a staple, caught in
7:44the early morning when they moved
7:46slowly, numbed by the cool night air,
7:49while small frogs near the dam provided
7:52more substantial meals than insects.
7:55Various insects, including ants and
7:58grubs, offered consistent, if meager,
8:00nutrition, and occasionally he caught
8:03small lizards, though the energy
8:05expended in the hunt often barely
8:07exceeded the calories gained. He also
8:10discovered edible plants with bulbous
8:13roots that helped fill his stomach more
8:15effectively than tiny protein sources.
8:18Through careful testing, touching a
8:21small amount to his skin first, then
8:24trying a tiny taste and waiting for
8:27reactions, he identified what was safe
8:30to eat. These dietary adaptations
8:33reflect a fundamental survival principle
8:36when facing starvation.
8:38Cultural food taboos become luxury
8:41beliefs that have no place in the
8:43calculus of survival. As his body
8:45adjusted to this unusual diet, Ricky
8:49established a strict daily routine
8:51structured around energy conservation.
8:54Dawn meant collecting insects while they
8:56were still sluggish from the cold.
8:59Midday meant resting in shade during the
9:01hottest hours. Evening meant searching
9:04for plants and attempting to catch frogs
9:07or reptiles. And night meant retreating
9:10to shelter to conserve body heat. The
9:14Tanami Desert is home to some of
9:16Australia's deadliest creatures,
9:19including the eastern brown snake,
9:21responsible for more deaths in Australia
9:24than any other snake species and the
9:27second most venomous land snake in the
9:29world. One bite in Ricky's isolated
9:32situation would have meant certain
9:34death. And these aggressive snakes are
9:37commonly found around water sources,
9:40exactly where Ricky needed to be. As
9:43weeks passed, Ricky's body underwent
9:46dramatic changes as starvation took its
9:49toll. Fat reserves disappeared first,
9:52his face hollowing out, his stomach
9:55flattening, then muscle began to waste
9:58away, making even short walks
10:00exhausting. His body was consuming
10:03itself to stay alive in a process called
10:06C A T A B O L I SM. According to medical
10:11experts who later examined him, Ricky
10:15was losing approximately 1 to2 kg every
10:18day. A rate that put him on a collision
10:21course with organ failure and death if
10:24rescue didn't come. The human body can
10:27only cannibalize itself for so long
10:30before vital organs begin to fail.
10:34Approximately 6 weeks into his ordeal,
10:37Ricky faced a new crisis. A dental
10:40abscess formed, a common complication
10:44when malnutrition weakens the immune
10:46system. For 3 days, the infection caused
10:50excruciating pain that radiated through
10:52his jaw and face. Nothing else existed.
10:56He later described not hunger, not
10:59thirst, just pain. The infection spread,
11:03causing visible swelling and fever with
11:07yellow pus occasionally draining from
11:09beside the affected tooth. Without
11:12antibiotics,
11:14Ricky claims he made a desperate
11:16decision to extract the tooth himself
11:19using a car key. A medically extreme
11:21act, but one with documented precedence
11:25in survival
11:26situations. Whether the extraction
11:29happened exactly as described or has
11:32been embellished in the retelling, the
11:35underlying medical threat was real.
11:38Dental infections can spread to the
11:40bloodstream, causing potentially fatal
11:42sepsis. And without treatment, Ricky's
11:46only option was to rinse continuously
11:48with damn water, fighting to keep the
11:51wound as clean as possible. This medical
11:54crisis coincided with another problem.
11:58The dam was shrinking, evaporating in
12:01the relentless heat, with the water line
12:04receding further each day. With no
12:07choice but to find another water source,
12:10Ricky gathered what little strength
12:12remained and began exploring beyond his
12:15established perimeter. His feet cracked
12:18and bleeding through the tattered
12:19remains of his shoes. Two days into this
12:23desperate search, he discovered a
12:25decrepit windmill and another dam, a
12:28critical find that would become his
12:30salvation. Even more fortunate, he
12:33discovered a large metal cattle trough
12:35that could serve as shelter. Protection
12:38from both the elements and the dingoes
12:41that had begun circling closer at night.
12:44Perhaps sensing his vulnerability, the
12:47trough became my home. He later said,
12:51"When those dingoes came at night, I
12:53could hear their claws on the metal.
12:56They couldn't get to me, but they were
12:58trying. Moving the trough to a suitable
13:02position had taken extraordinary effort
13:04in his weakened state. But the physical
13:07and psychological security it provided
13:10was worth every ounce of energy spent by
13:13the two-month mark. Ricky's condition
13:16had deteriorated significantly. Every
13:19rib was visible. His muscles had
13:22atrophied severely and his skin had
13:25become levery from constant sun
13:27exposure. His heart rate had become
13:29irregular from electrolyte imbalance.
13:32His vision would blur or darken. and his
13:35thinking had grown foggy with periods of
13:38confusion.
13:39Medical experts who studied his case
13:42note that at this stage, Ricky was
13:45approaching the boundary beyond which
13:47survival becomes medically impossible.
13:50The human body can only cannibalize
13:53itself for so long before vital organs
13:56fail. And yet somehow he held on. Day
14:0065, more than two months alone in the
14:03wilderness. According to Ricky's
14:06account, the psychological toll of
14:08isolation had become as threatening as
14:11the physical challenges, as humans are
14:14social creatures whose brains aren't
14:16designed for complete solitude,
14:19especially during crisis. "I started
14:22talking to myself," he later recalled.
14:26having full conversations. I'd ask
14:28questions, then answer in different
14:31voices.
14:33Part of me knew it was strange, but I
14:35couldn't stop. These psychological
14:38adaptations are well documented in
14:40isolation cases, as the mind seeking
14:44social interaction creates it internally
14:46when external sources aren't available.
14:50More troubling were the hallucinations
14:52that began to appear as weakness and
14:54isolation deepened. Ricky described
14:58seeing people standing at the edge of
15:00his vision who would disappear when he
15:02turned his head and hearing voices
15:04calling his name from across the dam.
15:08Medical science recognizes these
15:10experiences as common in extreme
15:12starvation and isolation triggered by
15:15physiological stress and sensory
15:18deprivation.
15:19There were moments when I couldn't tell
15:21what was real and what wasn't, he
15:23admitted later.
15:25Was that really a dingo or a
15:27hallucination.
15:29Was that sound actually wind or someone
15:32calling my name? In these darkest
15:35moments, thoughts of family provided
15:38crucial psychological anchoring. Ricky
15:41focused on memories of loved ones,
15:44creating detailed imaginary
15:45conversations and reunions, a technique
15:49that survival experts recognize as
15:51vital, as maintaining connection to
15:54important relationships, even when
15:56physically isolated, has saved many
15:59survivors in similar situations.
16:02I made a deal with whatever was
16:04listening, he said. Just let me see my
16:07family one more time. Let me make things
16:10right with them. Then you can take me.
16:13Survival. Experts call this the
16:16surrender moment. When continuing seems
16:20impossible and death begins to look like
16:23relief and how a person navigates it
16:26often determines whether they survive.
16:30For Ricky, salvation came when he was at
16:33his absolute lowest point. Around day
16:3670, as he lay in his trough shelter, too
16:39weak to search for food, he heard an
16:42unfamiliar sound in the distance that he
16:45initially dismissed as another cruel
16:48hallucination.
16:49But the sound persisted,
16:52growing louder, and with what little
16:54strength remained, he pulled himself
16:56from the trough and staggered toward the
16:58noise. March 27th, 2006.
17:03Day 71 to Stockman from Burandudu
17:06Station. Checking water points in their
17:09four-wheel drive. Crested a small rise
17:12and spotted something unusual in the
17:15distance.
17:16At first, we thought it was a dead
17:19kangaroo, Jack Cole. One of the stockmen
17:23later recounted two journalists, but
17:26something about it didn't look right. As
17:28they drew closer, the shape resolved
17:31into something both familiar and
17:33horrifying. A human being, severely
17:37emaciated, barely recognizable as
17:40living. Ricky McGee, once a sturdy 231
17:45lb, 105 kg man, had been reduced to
17:49approximately 99 lb 45 kg.
17:54He looked like a walking skeleton, Cole
17:56told reporters.
17:58I've never seen anyone so thin, still
18:01breathing. The stockman approached
18:04cautiously, giving him small sips of
18:07water, knowing that too much could be
18:09dangerous after severe dehydration.
18:12They radioed for help, their voices
18:14tense with urgency. And what followed
18:17was a complex medical evacuation from
18:20one of Australia's most remote
18:22locations. Ricky was transported first
18:25to Burandudu Station, then airlifted to
18:28Royal Darwin Hospital. The medical team
18:31that received him was shocked by his
18:34condition. Dr. Sarah Connor, the
18:37emergency physician who first assessed
18:39McGee, later told media, "I've worked in
18:43emergency medicine for 15 years and
18:46never seen someone so emaciated who was
18:48still conscious. His vital signs were
18:51barely compatible with life.
18:54The medical assessment confirmed the
18:56severity of his condition. Weight
18:58approximately 45 kg down from his normal
19:02105 kg.
19:05Severe dehydration, extreme muscle
19:08atrophy, compromised kidney and liver
19:11function, and electrolyte imbalances
19:14threatening his heart rhythm. His
19:16survival is medically remarkable. Dr.
19:20Connor told the press, "The human body
19:22isn't meant to lose. Wait that rapidly
19:25or survive on such minimal nutrition for
19:29so long." The medical team began the
19:32delicate process of refeeding him a
19:35dangerous phase of recovery from severe
19:38starvation where too much nutrition too
19:42quickly can trigger refeeding syndrome
19:45potentially fatal as the starved body
19:47struggles to restart normal metabolic
19:50processes.
19:52Ricky received carefully calculated
19:54amounts of fluids, electrolytes,
19:57and very small amounts of isoly
19:59digestible nutrition as his body
20:02desperately wanted to devour everything
20:05offered. But his heart could not handle
20:07the sudden electrolyte shifts. As news
20:10of the miracle survival hit headlines
20:12across Australia and then
20:14internationally,
20:16questions began to surface about how
20:19Ricky had ended up in the desert. His
20:22changing story raised red flags among
20:24journalists and law enforcement.
20:27Police investigations found no abandoned
20:29vehicle on the Bontini Highway matching
20:32his description, and journalists
20:34uncovered his criminal history,
20:36including fraud convictions and
20:38outstanding warrants. Yet, medical
20:41experts unanimously confirmed the
20:43authenticity of his physical condition.
20:47The inconsistencies don't change the
20:49medical facts.
20:51Dr. Connor insisted in follow-up
20:53interviews, whatever led him to be in
20:55the desert. He survived conditions that
20:58would kill most people within days.
21:01Within 6 days of his rescue, against
21:04medical advice, Ricky discharged himself
21:07from the hospital. Still dangerously
21:10underweight and requiring careful
21:12monitoring. The media scrutiny had
21:15become overwhelming, he later wrote. The
21:18only thing worse than dying in the
21:20desert was being called a liar after
21:23surviving it. In the years following his
21:26rescue, Ricky worked to rebuild his life
21:29while dealing with the lasting aftermath
21:31of his ordeal. Physically, he never
21:35returned to his previous weight. His
21:38metabolism permanently altered by the
21:40starvation. While psychologically he
21:43reported recurring nightmares, food
21:45hoarding behaviors and panic attacks.
21:49His brain still wired for the constant
21:51hypervigilance needed for survival. In
21:552007,
21:56Ricky published a book titled Left for
21:59Dead: How I Survived 71 Days Lost in a
22:04Desert Hell, providing his most
22:06comprehensive account of the experience.
22:09The book received mixed reviews, praised
22:13for its gripping account of survival
22:15techniques, but criticized for not fully
22:18addressing the inconsistencies in his
22:20story about how he initially became
22:22stranded.
22:24Eventually,
22:26Ricky made another dramatic choice,
22:28leaving Australia entirely and
22:30relocating to Dubai in the United Arab
22:33Emir, finding work in construction and
22:36seeking anonymity half a world away. In
22:40Dubai, nobody knows my story, he
22:43explained in his last known interview
22:45before disappearing from public view. I
22:48can just be Ricky again. Not that
22:51survival guy or the outback miracle. The
22:55irony wasn't lost on him escaping one
22:57desert only to make his home in another.
23:01But the urban landscape of Dubai with
23:03its gleaming skyscrapers and constant
23:06activity
23:07couldn't be more different from the
23:09isolation of the tsunami. What can we
23:12learn from Ricky McGee's 71 days in the
23:15outback?
23:17First, the human body's resilience
23:19exceeds what most of us imagine
23:21possible. Studies of extreme survival
23:24cases show that when pushed to extremes,
23:28our survival instinct can override
23:31discomfort, disgust, and even pain in
23:34ways that medical science struggles to
23:36explain.
23:38Second, those who survive extreme
23:41circumstances are often those most
23:44willing to abandon preconceptions.
23:47Ricky's willingness to eat leeches,
23:50insects, and amphibians represents the
23:53mental flexibility required to overcome
23:56seemingly impossible situations.
23:59Finally, there is the power of hope.
24:03Even in his darkest moments, Ricky held
24:06on to the possibility of seeing his
24:08family again. That psychological anchor,
24:12having something to live for beyond mere
24:14survival is often what separates those
24:17who make it from those who don't. The
24:21vast red expanse of the tsunami desert
24:25continues to bake under the Australian
24:27sun. temperatures still soaring above
24:3140° C as the spin effects grass rustles
24:34in the hot wind and dingoes howl under
24:37brilliant night skies. And somewhere in
24:40that wilderness, perhaps near a decrepit
24:43windmill or a driedup dam, the echoes of
24:46one man's extraordinary struggle to
24:49survive against all odds linger on the
24:52desert air. According to doctors at
24:55Royal Darwin Hospital, McGee had lost
24:58approximately 60 kg, more than 57% of
25:03his original body weight over 71 days,
25:07placing his case among the most extreme
25:09documented starvation survivals in
25:12modern medical history, with less than a
25:15handful of comparable cases ever
25:17recorded worldwide.
25:19His 2007 book, Left for Dead: How I
25:23Survived 71 Days Lost in a Desert Hell,
25:27published by Pan McMillan, Australia,
25:29and covered by ABC News, the Sydney
25:32Morning Herald, and the BBC,
25:35cemented his place as one of the most
25:37medically astonishing survival cases of
25:40the 21st century. Proof that the human
25:43will to live can push the body far
25:45beyond what science alone would predict.

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