Posted on 08/27/2009 11:31:27 AM PDT by Wardenclyffe
It promised to stretch reality television to the limit: one man pitting his wits against the Yukon wilderness with just a camera for company.
But hopes for an epic three-month contest between man and nature were dashed when adventurer Ed Wardle failed to go the distance.
Seven weeks after striding out into the rugged forests of western Canada armed with a rifle and a fishing rod, Mr Wardle had to be airlifted back to civilisation suffering from starvation.
At first he appeared to be weathering the challenge, despite his lack of survival training.
He had been confident of finding regular food, telling the Daily Mail prior to setting off: "I imagine I have a long future of fish-eating in front of me. It's going to be trout and grayling for 12 weeks."
However, friends following his progress on Twitter - including long-term girlfriend Amanda Murray who lives with him in Islington, North London - became increasingly concerned when he appeared to start losing his grip on reality, hallucinating and talking to insects as starvation set in.
Two weeks ago he tweeted about losing weight rapidly, saying his muscles were 'disappearing'. Most alarming of all, he counted his heartbeat at just 32 beats-per-minute. A healthy range is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
His condition eventually deteriorated so much that he used his emergency satellite telephone to call for help.
Mr Wardle was chosen for the project because of his abilitiy as a cameraman and producer, and his experience of filming in the North Pole and on the summit of Everest.
But he had no specific training for living alone in the remote territory, 80 per cent of which is pristene wilderness.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
John Beyer, Director of Media Watch, said last night: 'If they first of all did not check that Ed Wardle was competent, then that is the height of irresponsibility on the part of Channel 4, to do that merely to provide entertainment for us all back home to watch this man steadily deteriorate.'
Reminds of the movie “Into the Wild.”
Wait a minute, why is that considered a failure? If there was no chance he couldn’t make it, where’s the entertainment? It’s like if you watched “The Biggest Loser” and they all had gastric bypass - where’s the fun if there’s no risk they won’t snap and shove a calzone into their face with the heel of their hands>
A gruesome exploitation of a vulnerable individual.
These TV producers have no conscience.
Two weeks ago he tweeted about losing weight rapidly, saying his muscles were 'disappearing'. Most alarming of all, he counted his heartbeat at just 32 beats-per-minute. A healthy range is between 60 and 100 beats per minute.
That's entertaining to some people. Not everyone gets to be Indiana Jones when they grow up.
Exactly.
“Hey, I have all the training I need - I’ve watched every episode of ‘Man vs. Wild’. How hard could it be?”
Jeremiah Johnson he ain’t!
Despite his near death experience, I bet he won’t change his romantic views on primitive living in “pristine wilderness” either.
Reminds me of why some people learn to hunt and fish, others join the protest lines.
And what’s with the tactical shotgun? Nice tough guy touch, but I bet a 22 rifle and a fishing pole would be far more useful. Or if you were really into it, an over-under survival gun with 12 ga shotgun under a light rifle would be cool.
Wasn’t there someone else who tried this and died of starvation? Drove until he ran out of gas in Alaska and then tried to survive. They found his skeleton after the snow melted.
They should've at least given him this great video of the story of Dick Proenneke. A man who went to the Alaskan wilderness and lived there for 30 years. Great true story.
Do not feed the bears!
Might be a little more effective to teach an expert outdoorsman how to operate the camera.
I was thinking the same thing. A .22 with a scope for game, and a big bore revolver for protection.
And what’s with the tactical shotgun? Nice tough guy touch, but I bet a 22 rifle and a fishing pole would be far more useful.
Exactly, (though I'd want a higher caliber rifle myself) and maybe a net for catching those trout in streams also.
The average Brit has an aversion to guns and that might have affected his use of the weapon to kill any furry little creatures
What was that movie back in the 80’s where the wolf researcher concluded that the wolves were living primarily on a diet of mice, not caribou? to prove it, he ate only mice as well
Is there a lesson her for all those who want pristine wilderness to be preserved?
Liberals live in fantasyland. It is only when their nanny0-state government protectors aren’t available to help them that they learn the real lessons from life. If all liberals had to face real life this way, they would all be...
Conservatives.
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