Brian Gadd, 33, was discovered  on Wednesday one kilometre from where the car he was travelling in had crashed, about 150km from Broken Hill, New South Wales.

Mr Gadd had been travelling with two other Ballarat people, who both survived, including a 24-year-old woman who walked 20 kilometres to raise the alarm after their vehicle ran off the road. They are yet to be named.

The trio had been stranded since midday on Tuesday, with the woman calling emergency services at noon saying she was lost.

Rescue crews tracked the call, determined it was made near the Mutawintji National Park, and found the car by 8pm Tuesday but could not locate the missing persons.

The woman arrived at private property Acacia Downs about 9.40am Wednesday and was reported in reasonable health despite having walked almost 20 kilometres from the car.

She told police she had left Gadd and another man near a waterhole.

Both were found separately Wednesday afternoon.

A 21-year-old man was located 15 kilometres north-east of Bondi Water Tank suffering from exposure and treated by NSW paramedics for minor injuries.

Police yesterday could not confirm the purpose of their trip.

Barrier Local Area Commander Superintendent Brad Hodder said Gadd’s companions were still recovering and would speak with police when deemed well enough. 

“It is understandable that they have gone through an ordeal throughout the last two days in conditions that would be described as arid and desolate. In some places the grass is around a metre high,” he said.

Broken Hill newspaper Barrier Daily Truth  reported local SES crews found the 21-year-old man by tracking his footprints from where Mr Gadd was found, leading to a woolshed on Langwirra Station.

The paper understands the trio were poorly equipped for outback conditions and were travelling in a Hyandai Excel.

Superintendent Hodder encouraged anyone travelling in remote locations to ensure they were prepared with enough supplies, to have spoken to local information centres and automotive clubs, and to have appropriate radio where mobile communication was often unreliable.

“If you do become stranded then please stay with your vehicle, have appropriate clothing and water in the vehicle and do not separate,” he said.

melanie.whelan@thecourier.com.au