CAST AWAY: A Sydney man has been rescued in the Bondi Westfield car park, two months after he lost his car there.
At around midday today, emergency crews found Paul Tunks sitting on the car park floor, delirious and malnourished.
The 41 year old Dover Heights man was rushed to St Vincent’s hospital to be treated for dehydration and overexposure to car exhaust fumes.
“All I wanted was a litre of milk and a jar of Vegemite from Coles,” he told DBT from his hospital bed.
“I parked the car and went into the mall. But when I came back out I had no idea where it was.”
Since then, he’s been searching the seven level car park – infamous for its labyrinthine layout and confusing signage.
As days blended into nights, he adapted to his new subterranean environment.
“I survived on rainwater and leftover food in shopping trolleys,” says Mr Tunks. “After the 6th week I pretty much gave up looking for my car.”
“I had no energy left, so I sat down on the car park floor in the hope someone would find me.”
Following his rescue, attention quickly turned to looking for his 2015 Toyota Camry.
It too was eventually found, but like its owner, it was in bad condition, covered in scratches left by shopping trolleys.
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover the $4800 cost of car parking which has accumulated over the two month period.
And Mr Tunks is writing a story for the Sydney Morning Herald with the headline: ‘Car Park Castaway: My 60 Days in Bondi Westfield’s Concrete Jungle.’
