Aussie teen found 1 mile from home after 2 weeks in the bush

Matthew Allen's family feared the worst after the 18-year-old disappeared in late November from Westleigh, near Cherrybrook in northwest Sydney and his mobile phone and bank accounts went untouched.

Extensive searches of the area by police failed to find a trace of Allen, who suffers from an undisclosed medical condition. But two hikers spotted the teen lying in bushland less than two kilometers (just over a mile) from his home on Saturday, covered in leeches and insect bites and having lost almost half his body weight. He was partially blind, exhausted and suffering gangrene to his lower legs and feet.

Allen was believed to have deliberately hidden himself from view in the area. He told rescuers he had survived by drinking from a local creek, which was almost dry when he was found. Allen endured soaring temperatures in recent weeks including a record-breaking 46 degree Celsius (115 Fahrenheit) day in Sydney.

Allen was airlifted to safety and was undergoing treatment in hospital for his injuries, which were described as not life-threatening.

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