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Went off to PNG to find a remote tribe he encountered 30 years ago. Was due to fly home on Sunday but no-one has heard from him. His last tweet read....
"Marching off to Heathrow. I may be some time (don't try to rescue me, please - where I'm going in PNG you won't ever find me you know...)"
Sounds to me like he wasn't planning on returning all along.
Yeah, Heathrow is massive and can be a bit confusing sometimes.
Cynic in me says it's all publicity for the new series, but that tweet rings alarm bells.
Genuinely hope he's ok.
He was meant to be back in Port Moresby on Sunday according to the BBC. I can envisage plenty of reasons that he couldn't get back there in time if he was travelling for weeks through jungle with no comms, no definite travel plan and no roads. There doesn't need to be any element of danger, simply that he couldn't get back on time. Flooded rivers. He travelled further than expected. He couldn't get a guide to show him the way back on his schedule.
I hope he's ok, having said all that. I was meant to see a talk of his a while ago - he didn't turn up. 🙂
I genuinely hope he is ok, but 2 days late in PNG is about 10 minutes European.
Bear Grills wouldn't be late, unless the valet parking was slow.
On the today programme this morning some presenter said it was astonishing to believe that there were still parts of the world where there was no communication available, and "no mobile phone coverage in these remote valleys". What was she thinking! Mobile phone masts on the hilltops? I think a satellite phone would probably work anyway but as I don't think it was that sort of expedition anyway. His sister seemed to think he didn't have a phone or gps as a matter of principle.
There is no mobile phone coverage in large parts of the highlands!
It's a long time since I lived in the highlands of New Guinea (to the south of Bisorio), but he's probably safer in remote areas of PNG than he would be in the capital.
I think a satellite phone would probably work anyway
Ever used a sat phone? Trees are not your friend. Nor hills. Nor building. Nor having the antennae anything less than vertical.
Moving is almost acceptable.
he went missing for three months when he was walking the Amazon in his younger years. No point being an explorer if you dont have the odd adventure along the way. I like the chap, properly bonkers in the nicest possible way. Fingers crossed he's still ok
Hope he did not end up on the menu.
There is no mobile phone coverage in large parts of the highlands!
Exactly. On holiday in the Helford river in Cornwall phone coverage was only available at low tide when you could walk further down the beach away from the cliff. Why anybody would be surprised that communications are unavailable in the jungles of Papua New Guinea is beyond me, especially some Oxbridge educated BBC presenter.
Some mate of Benedict Allen said odss were he'd turn up in due course. Probably asking what all the fuss is about.
Don't you think his last tweet and some of the writing on his website hint that he may have left to live out his days with this remote tribe?
Don't you think his last tweet and some of the writing on his website hint that he may have left to live out his days with this remote tribe?
With no WiFi???
The title of the latest "news" item on his website is "I may be some time..." which has an echo of Oates' last words in the Antarctic "I am just going outside and may be some time".
On the today programme this morning some presenter said it was astonishing to believe that there were still parts of the world where there was no communication available, and "no mobile phone coverage in these remote valleys".
eh? Parts of Scotland have no coverage. On North Ronaldsay, you need to go to the highest point on the island to (maybe) get a signal. did anyone point out that there are places where there's no Starbucks either?
Its the londoncentric bias / anti scots conspiracy again 😉
Quite a bit of the Lakes and the Dales have no mobile coverage especially in the valleys.
When we lived in Rosedale in the North York Moors there was no mobile coverage and no radio signal. If there was an incident then the police had to have a car at the top of Chimney Bank to act as a relay. The national park authority wouldn't allow a phone/radio mast to be put in. Don't know if this is still the case.
For a proper adventure you don’t take a GPS or a mobile phone. If it wasn’t risky he wouldn’t be doing it !
Turn off the M6 and head for kielder, you won't have mobile phone signal for hours. days even if you hang around there!
It's hardly surprising. He's also quoted as saying he had no idea how he was exiting the jungle to make that flight. He said he'd either have to canoe down river for a week or two or enlist the help of the tribe like he did previously.
Who's footing the bill for the search party?
England are playing PNG in the Rugby League World Cup on Sunday. Maybe he's staying to enjoy the celebrations when PNG win 😉
There is no mobile phone coverage in large parts of the highlands!
To be fair it's pretty patchy on the train from Cambridge to London....
Its the londoncentric bias / anti scots conspiracy again
Plus they'd need electricity first and that's still considered witchcraft in many places north of the border.... 😉
chip - Member
Hope he did not end up on the menu.
My bet is this. 😯
Good training for jungle special forces to go and find him.
It's an odd one part of me is feeling he has gone off intentionally i hope he is ok and in a good mental place OR He is chilling by the river with no clue of this drama
There are places in Manchester where you can't get a decent phone signal let alone the Highlands or Cornwall
There is no mobile signal in Parts of Surrey just outside the M25. Took me also 6 months to get broadband installed when we moved down here to the dark ages. To top it all my son is developing a squeaky silly accent 😀
There is no signal even in part of my office in the city centre in the North East can you believe that! I mean we have to do the "chasing" signal gesture ... 😡
Apparently he has been found near an airstrip and has asked to be rescued, whatever that means.
Good news.
Turn off the M6 and head for kielder
Pretty sure there may be cannibals around there as well, it has a right dodgy feel around the place
Somebody should tell him to buy a ticket just like everyone else!
Intrepid adventurer asks to be saved.
I sat through a corporate motivation speech of his years ago. He basically spent it saying how brilliant he was and left us all feeling pretty crap about our lot.
Until late 90s it was easy to go off grid anywhere slightly remote. Crickey we didn't even have email let alone mobiles. How do backpackers nowadays get a feel for escape?
He was probably just visiting some grandkids
Apparently he has been found near an airstrip and has asked to be rescued, whatever that means.
That he is returning as planned but got a bit delayed.
Stunt
Remember the program a few years ago with dramatic footage of a brave Benedict following a small cat in the jungle
I sat through a corporate motivation speech of his years ago. He basically spent it saying how brilliant he was and left us all feeling pretty crap about our lot.
I used to enjoy his programmes because he was always a bit rubbish. I remember him chasing his dogsled across an ice-floe after being chucked out of it. And chasing his camel across the desert after being chucked off it. There was a theme....
Jungle explorer Benedict Allen: I did not need rescuing
Why did he get on the helicopter then?
Anyone who who goes 'exploring' without a phone, GPS or even a Personal Locator Beacon is a pillock in my view.
As someone has said already, seems like a stunt.... it may have been better if he'd stayed there.
He's relaxing in that London and being treated for malaria. Says he couldn't make further progress when a small war broke out between two tribes.
Anyone who who goes 'exploring' without a phone, GPS or even a Personal Locator Beacon is a pillock in my view.
His choice but I think he's married and has kids at which point a PLB is a basic courtesy to them. So I don't disagree.
A short piece about his "rescue" on the [url= http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-42062933 ]BBC site[/url]