Man sets out to survive one year in the Scottish wilderness, dies within a month. Did he get what he deserved?

posted 01-24-2012 by jarango

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Inspired by British survivalist Bear Grylls, 29-year-old David Austin set out to spend one year alone in the Scottish wilderness. He made it roughly 8 percent of the way to his goal before dying of hypothermia.

This is hardly the first time someone has gone all Into the Wild with the same less than shocking results, and despite Austin's two years worth of survival classes, most experts agree the chances of surviving a Highlands winter alone are extremely slim.

Wanting to be completely at the mercy of the harsh winter, Austin opted to forego bringing a cell-phone and head into the wilderness without a safety net. He'd alerted family that he was going on a one year survival mission, and despite being urged to reconsider his plans, Austin was determined to live out his dream of surviving in the wilderness. That dream failed. His body was found on December 31st.

So, did David Austin get what he deserved? Wasn't death the most likely outcome for his idiotic adventure? Or, was Austin just an overly optimistic adventurer who happened to get unlucky? And, either way, isn't it exciting that Emile Hirsch will finally have another role coming his way?