A former millionaire who chose to take on his own Castaway-type lifestyle on an island by himself has admitted he could now do with some 'backup'.
David Glasheen, 78, moved to live on the island reef off the coast of Far North Queensland 25 years ago after walking away from his life in Sydney, where he worked as the chairman of a company specialising in gold mining.
His decision to isolate himself from society came after he lost millions as a result of the 'Black Tuesday' crash in 1987, after which he went bankrupt and divorced his wife.
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Looking back, he now wishes he had moved to Restoration Island 'at birth'.
Speaking to news.com.au, he commented: “I wish I’d never been in the city, I wish I was born here in the bushes. We all do the same thing. We leave school. We’re expected to go into our mother or father’s businesses, or take over things from the family, or be doctors, lawyers or accountants or whatever.
“And we did all that. Half of the marriages failed. And you’ve got all the broken families and kids everywhere. And we wonder why every one is a bit dysfunctional."
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Glasheen is set to turn 79 in August, but has no plans to leave the island despite some aspects of his life getting more difficult. The former businessman has made friends with a dingo, who he says is 'a lot of fun', but admitted he 'can’t pick up the phone and ring it' if he gets into trouble.
He explained: "I need backup here. I’m at a time where I’ve had a few misses with broken hips and I had a recent operation with a bloody blood clot. If I’d waited one more day, I’d be dead. You only get three of four gos at this, next one, you’re over and out, so I’m a bit cautious today.”
With his old age in mind, Glasheen said the only way he can 'responsibly' stay at the island is if he has a 'backup team of people'.
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The 78-year-old explained that he is 'in charge' of everything on the island, saying he has to 'work with the elements' as he can't do simple things like get water out of a tap. “If things go wrong, your life is at risk and you’re really aware of it," he told news.com.au.
"The wild is pretty severe; it’s a tough world. Things are forever going wrong, and you’ve just got to deal with it.”
Glasheen has put ads on Gumtree in an attempt to get help on his island, but his efforts have so far proved futile.
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Emily Brown