Aussie mum and nine-year-old son forced to drink their own urine after becoming lost in the bush for 10 days

By KYLIE STEVENS, SENIOR BREAKING NEWS REPORTER, AUSTRALIA Published: 06:18, 27 May 2026 | Updated: 06:18, 27 May 2026 A mum who miraculously survived 10 days lost in dense bushland with her young son still gets emotional about the unimaginable ordeal almost a decade later. In 2017, Michelle Pittman, then 40, and her son Dylan, then nine, spent the October long weekend bushwalking together.  On the final day, the pair visited Mount Royal National Park in the NSW Hunter region, where they became lost after taking a wrong turn when they crossed a riverbed, thinking it was part of the track. They spent the next 10 days without water, food or warm clothing and resorted to drinking their own urine in order to survive. Tuesday night's episode of SBS Insight was dedicated to survivors' lucky escapes, where Ms Pittman opened up about the guilt she still harbours nine years on. 'The guilt is so real and it holds you back from moving past the trauma, because I blame myself for the decision I made to cross the river,' she told the program.   But it was when Dylan asked if Santa would find them if they were still lost in the bush two months later that broke her.  'It was hard because I knew what that meant if we were still lost then,' she said. Michelle Pittman and her son Dylan (pictured today) resorted to drinking their own urine when they spent 10 days lost in the Mount Royal National Park in 2017  Michelle Pittman (pictured) fought back tears while detailing the tough ordeal on SBS Insight 'There were these little fern trees in the shape of Christmas trees and I told him that if we were still there and Santa came, that we were going to plant a tree and we were going to use little rocks and he could name his presents.' Another hard moment was on day seven. 'When we were up high on the mountain, we laid down to have a sleep, because it was easier to sleep in the day than it was at night,' she recalled. 'When I woke up and looked at Dylan, he was purplish blue and I screamed. 'He jolted awake and I knew that by looking at him, he didn't have long.' Mother and son began their descent down the mountain and two days later, finally came across 'liquid gold' - the first puddle of water they had seen in days. 'That's when I realised that he would be okay,' she said.  Ms Pittman had not told any family or friends where they were going. It was two days before anyone noticed they were missing.  Dylan (pictured after being found) was nine-years-old at the time Michelle (pictured after being rescued) and her son spent 11 days in hospital  It was day two when Ms Pittman first realised they were lost and 'in deep s**t.' 'I was so scared, I thought I was going to die,' Dylan recalled. 'We were both freaking out at the same time. But if it wasn't for my mum, I don't know what we would have done.' Back at Ms Pittman's home, her daughter found a piece of paper on the kitchen bench with a list of places she and Dylan had planned to visit. Scrawled at the bottom of the list was Mount Royal National Park, where detectives eventually located Ms Pittman's car and ramped up the large-scale search. By day four, the pair were drinking their own urine in a desperate effort to stay alive, inspired by bush survival expert Bear Grylls. 'There is nothing to describe the taste of it - it was foul,' she said. 'But in a moment of survival, you'll do it.'  By the time they were found on day 11, they were both suffering from severe dehydration, starvation, swollen legs and insect bites. Michelle Pittman and her son Dylan resorted to drinking their own urine to survive Police and emergency responders spent nine days searching for Michelle and Dylan (pictured on a missing persons poster) Should parents be held responsible for taking risks that put their children in danger outdoors? What's your view?Rescue teams told Ms Pittman that at the time, the pair had been given a 20 per cent chance of survival and the search had been scheduled to be called off two days later. The pair spent almost two weeks in hospital recovering. Ms Pittman admitted she didn't feel lucky at the time. 'I didn't know how to process and work through it or help Dylan,' she said. 'But years later, looking back and reflecting, absolutely. 'We are very lucky to be alive.'   At the time, Bear Grylls dubbed Ms Pittman and Dylan's efforts to survive as 'resourceful and courageous'. 'You don't have to be the biggest or the strongest, you've just got to be the smartest and the most tenacious and I think this whole experience really for me just speaks to Michelle and Dylan's tenacity and their courage and that's what really shines bright,' he told Channel Seven's Sunday Night. No comments have so far been submitted. Why not be the first to send us your thoughts, or debate this issue live on our message boards. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual We will automatically post your comment and a link to the news story to your Facebook timeline at the same time it is posted on MailOnline. To do this we will link your MailOnline account with your Facebook account. 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