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British backpacker Jamie Neale, 19, from North London, was found by two bushwalkers after he went missing in the Blue Mountains for 12 days - Source: Reuters -
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The survival of British backpacker Jamie Neale after 12 days lost in Sydney's Blue Mountains is an incredible story but there's nothing to suggest it's a hoax, the Australian police officer in charge of the search says.
Neale, 19, became lost during a day hike on July 3 but emerged from the bush on Wednesday.
He was gaunt and scratched but in relatively good health, suffering from exposure and dehydration.
The story has sparked rumours the ordeal was a hoax to make money from the media - a claim discounted by his father Richard Cass.
And on Thursday, Blue Mountains Police Commander, Superintendent Tony McWhirter, said Mr Neale's story appeared to be true.
"It's an incredible story and that's always harder to digest than those that things turn out poorly," Supt McWhirter told the Australia's Nine Network.
"There's nothing at this stage to say what he has said is not right, nothing at all."
Supt McWhirter said Neale would be interviewed again once he had been released from hospital.
"There's questions to be asked and those questions are just to clarify where he was and how he went about what he did for that period of time."
He said despite reports that Neale could receive up to $AU1 million ($NZ1.2 million) for his story, he would not be charged for the search.
"At the end of the day, my question is, what price a life? We go out there, the volunteers go out there on a daily basis because they want to find someone, they want to do good."
