Lost New Zealand Mother Drank Own Breast Milk To Survive In Forest

A New Zealand woman and mother of two was lost while running in the Rimutaka Forest. Susan O’Brien, 29, drank her own breast milk to sustain herself in the wilderness.

She survived the cold night in forest by digging a hole in a bank and covering herself with dirt. O’Brien was forced to drink her own breast milk to maintain her strength, reports the New Zealand Herald.

O’Brien was found after the Westpac Rescue Helicopter crew spotted her about 1.5 kilometres from the Haurangi Hutt in the Orongorongo Valley on May 11. One of her rescuers said she saw the helicopter and began waving it down. Colin Larsen, one of the crew members, added that the chopper had just dropped off a search and rescue team at the top of the track before the crew decided to fly along the Orongorongo River to see if she was there.

“And on our way back down we basically saw her standing by the river waving her arms,” said Larsen. He added that it was raining the entire morning and he could see O’Brien was cold and tired.

After the chopper had rescued her, she was examined by a paramedic and was cleared of a possible trauma after spending a night in the forest. O’Brien was reunited with her family after the helicopter landed near the entrance to the Orongorongo Track. She told reporters at the scene that she took a wrong turn during her run.

She recalled her experience and said she was very cold as it rained overnight. O’Brien had often thought she would not make it through the night. “I thought I was going to die,” she told the media. She believes what helped her get through the night was the thought of her children. O’Brien also used much of her time to pray for her rescue, reports Dominion Post.

Her husband, Daniel O’Brien, said he did not give up on his wife returning home. Her father, Andrew Khoo, also expressed his relief and thanked everyone who helped find his daughter.

Meanwhile, a breastfeeding expert said drinking breast milk was one of the smartest things O’Brien had done to sustain her. Trish Ebery from the New Zealand Lactation Consultants Association said breast milk is the “perfect food” since it has “everything.” By drinking breast milk, Ebery added that O’Brien had given herself some fluid and nourishment.

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