That’s right, all you have to do to make a quick 160k is wander off into the Australian outback winter with two bread rolls, one small bottle of water, light clothing and no gear. Then, get lost, risk freezing or starving to death and hope that someone finds you. Or, like Jamie, stumble out of the bush 12 days later. Oh, and don’t forget to do it at Aussie search and rescue’s 100k expense. That’s what Jamie Neale, 19, of North London did, before securing a lucrative interview appearance on the Aussie version of 60 Minutes to tell his ‘epic tale of survival.’ And then, find an agent and start on the path to celebrity. Seriously?

“As the word spread that Mr Neale would receive money for his remarkable tale, many local people said that he should reimburse the volunteer rescue organisation that searched for him. Mr Neale, 19, from Muswell Hill, North London, was greeted with joy and disbelief on Wednesday when, just as his family had given him up for dead, he stumbled out of the Bush dehydrated and exhausted, 13 miles from the Blue Mountains tourist town. He had eaten seeds and weeds to survive and had scratches to his face and upper body, but did not suffer from hypothermia despite freezing overnight temperatures.”

[via UK Times]