A desperate search for a missing British tourist who was last seen running into snake-infested bushes has been ramped up.
Aslan King, 25, was camping with friends at Princetown, near the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, when he suffered a medical episode about 2am on Saturday.
The Brighton-based illustrator is believed to have had a seizure, bumped his head and panicked before running into dense bushland in the middle of the night.
Helicopters and police on horseback joined the intense search on Monday morning, helping ground crews scour through dense, snake-infested scrub in the hope of finding him.
The Brighton-based illustrator (left and right) is believed to have suffered a seizure, bumped his head and panicked before running into dense bushland in the middle of the night
Clifftops and waterways have also been searched but there has been no trace of him.
His friends hold grave concerns for his wellbeing and say his disappearance is out of character.
Mr King had been drinking alcohol when his face suddenly went blank, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
He then fell off his chair and attempted to hide beneath it. At first the group thought he was joking but he then fled into the bush.
Acting Senior Sergeant Travis Barber earlier said the search was ‘slow going’ due to the overgrown terrain.
The area is also home to ‘a lot of tiger snakes’, which are highly venomous and known to be aggressive.
‘As time creeps on, our concern levels do rise a little bit,’ he said.
Aslan King, 25, was camping with friends at Princetown, near the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, when he suffered a medical episode about 2am on Saturday
Aslan King (second from right, with his friends), 25, was camping with friends at Princetown, near the Twelve Apostles in Victoria, when he suffered a medical episode about 2am on Saturday
‘The terrain varies significantly, including very dense thick scrub at chest high and the only way to go through it is to crawl through it.’
Mr King and his friends only arrived in Australia two weeks ago.
They had recently left Melbourne and were travelling toward Great Ocean Road.
Friends and authorities believe the head knock, and suspected seizure, may have contributed to Mr King’s disorientation.
They said he is unfamiliar with the area and could have become lost in the dense bushland.
Police have released an image of him taken yesterday in the hope someone may recognise him.
More than 60 search and rescue volunteers, police (stock image pictured) and members of the air and dog squads are currently searching for Mr King
Police on horseback (stock image) joined the intense search on Monday morning, helping ground crews scour through dense, snake-infested scrub in the hope of finding him
Mr King is of medium build with short hair and was wearing trackpants, a light grey T-shirt and hoodie with green Reebok sneakers.
He may possibly have blood on his forehead.
Chilling footage on the British national’s Instagram shows him driving along the Great Ocean Rd before reaching the Twelve Apostles on Friday.
He can be heard calling out in excitement as he films the sprawling landscape from the passenger seat.
In a later clip, Mr King points to a Parks Victoria sign which warns of unstable cliffs and snakes.
