Glynn Sherris, 57, was lost, alone and desperately thirsty after collapsing on a sand dune somewhere in Cape Le Grand National Park.
It was getting dark.
But then he remembered some advice he heard on television from English survivalist Bear Grylls.
"People are going to laugh about this," Mr Sherris said.
"But he recommends that if you're out of fluid, with no water and no prospect of having water, then you can resort to your own pee — and that's what I did.
Mr Sherris, a mature-aged archaeology student, had travelled with a friend to the national park east of Esperance to see a particular archaeological site.
On Friday February 4, Mr Sherris's friend waited in the car while he set out for what he thought would be a one-kilometre walk to the site.
But it took him almost two hours, and on the return journey he started to get increasingly disorientated.
"I saw some sand dunes off in the distance and I thought if I made my way to those perhaps I could see a road," he said.
But he said drinking his urine certainly helped.
"Yeah absolutely — I was parched," he said.
"Being a diabetic, you do feel that dehydration a lot.
"My throat was dry as.
He then buried himself in sand – another idea from Bear Grylls – to try and keep himself warm.
"You kind of sit there and look at the stars and think, 'Wow the universe and the Milky Way look very, very nice, but I could die out here,'" he said.
More bad luck
It took until about 8pm that Friday night for Esperance Police to get word Mr Sherris was missing — apparently his friend left the car doors open while she waited for him and drained the battery.
She then sent a text message to local helicopter company HeliSpirit, which had taken them on a tourist flight the day before.
But Esperance Police Station's Acting Senior Sergeant Josh Humble said the helicopter crew were out at dinner when the message came through and it took a few hours to be passed onto police.
Officers managed to find the friend at about 11pm, but there was still no sign of Mr Sherris.
After learning he was insulin-dependent, the police called for the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) jet from Perth.
Mr Sherris recalls hearing an aircraft overhead and wondering if he was below a FIFO route.
At first light, he decided the best course of action would be to make his way to the beach, where he hoped he would be easily spotted.
But he said it was an arduous journey that took him through a swamp and scrubs and left him with plenty of cuts and bruises.
The crew onboard the AMSA jet tried locate Mr Sherris via his heat signature and eventually spotted him.
Armed with the details, the Helispirit crew and a police officer set off to retrieve him.
'I got through it'
Mr Sherris was waving his arms at what he thought was a four-wheel drive in the distance when the helicopter appeared.
"I went, 'Oh my god, thank goodness for that,'" he said.
"A police officer jumped out and walked over to me and said, 'What's your name?' and I said 'Glynn Sherris' and he said, 'Oh you're the guy I'm looking for.'
Mr Sherris was taken to Esperance Hospital, put on a drip and treated for muscle cramps and abrasions.
Three days later and back home in Perth, Mr Sherris told the ABC he still felt exhausted and deeply affected by the ordeal.
"I just feel a sense of self confidence and achievement — I got through it," he said.
"I can get through difficult times.
"The other side, of course, is just realising that from a simple tiny error of judgement, it can change your life dramatically."
Mr Sherris said the lesson for others would be to plan and prepare for the worst-case scenario, particularly when heading into the wilderness.
Senior Sergeant Humble agreed.
"I think the lesson is probably just not to wander off into the scrub," he said.
