SHAUN AND NUGGETS WARM TALE OF SURVIVAL

 
Eight year old Shaun Coggin spent eight hours huddled under a tree branch on Sunday night, lost in bush on Mt Tambourine with only his faithful PIT BULL Nugget for warmth. As Temperatures in the area dropped to zero Shaun slept, as Nugget laid on top of him, unaware of a major search underway to find him.

A small army of volunteers including State emergency service and rural fire brigade members, neighbors and police were combing the Gold Coast Hinterland area after Shaun's mother, Michelle, reported him missing. Shaun's unplanned adventure began when he took Nugget for a walk in the bush behind the family's Jersey road property around 3pm on Sunday. After becoming lost and with night falling Shaun, in a shirt and track pants, settled in for the night by pulling a tree branch over himself and the dog.

Despite temperatures which dropped to zero overnight, Shaun went to sleep as Nugget stayed awake. It was the sound of searchers calling out nearby that started Nugget barking which woke Shaun. He had wandered 7km.At home yesterday with the searchers and the rescue helicopter gone, Michelle said the ordeal began after Police were called at 5pm.Police asked her and Glen to stay at the house in case Shaun returned. Shaun was finally returned to his family with his loving PIT-BULL that saved his life.

Gold Coast Bulletin 17.08.99