Prince Albert man Down Under turns up safe after week-long silence

Prince Albert’s Layton Keddy is well-known for his thrill-seeking adventures, but he’ll be the first to admit he never anticipated the attention he would receive after being reported missing in Australia.

Earlier this month, the 32-year-old set off on a 330-kilometre trek across the Australian Divide — a route that even the most seasoned cyclists describe as challenging.

Prior to leaving, however, Keddy posted a mysterious status update to his Facebook page, describing the need to feel the way Neil Armstrong did when he walked on the moon.

“I won’t say goodbye because I know I can do it but I’m warning you now that I will be gone for a while. I have to find my limit,” Keddy wrote.

Keddy then proceeded to shut off his phone. Six days later, a friend who was assisting Keddy with his maps got worried and, after calling Keddy’s mom to let her know he had not heard from Keddy, proceeded to call Victoria police.

(Layton Keddy/Submitted)

“He just couldn’t believe I had been gone for so long,” Keddy said. “He figured I had to be missing.”

On the eighth day, not knowing the entire continent was out looking for him, Keddy pulled into a small mining town to check out a pub and get his camera gear charged.

“When I pulled into town, everyone was looking at me and I thought, ‘This is weird if I’m getting this much attention.’ They were like, ‘We’re calling you the ghost. Everyone is looking for you,’ ” he said.

Keddy, who moved to Australia roughly a year and a half ago to escape the Canadian winters, explained the big difference between Australia and Saskatchewan is when you get away from a major centre, you really get away. There is no signal and no power, and the roads are not maintained.

For an adventurer like Keddy, however, not having a phone was not a concern.

“You are more attached to the moment when you have no distractions,” he explained.

After learning of his missing status, Keddy said his first thought was for his family and friends back in Prince Albert, and specifically his mother.

“I phoned her right away to make sure she wasn’t freaking out and of course she was crying on the phone and she’s like, ‘Layton, your friend got me so worried,’ ” he said.

Keddy’s trip was immediately brought to a halt as police had a ton of paperwork for him to fill out. The Australian media had a few questions too, which Keddy didn’t mind as it has helped him increase his social media following.

After being encouraged to change his route to one that was more search-friendly, Keddy then continued on his way but was still subjected to a number of wellness checks by police. Imagine Keddy’s surprise, however, when one of the officers offered him shelter in her guest house.

“She’s like, ‘My husband is from Carrot River,’ ” he said, adding Leading Senior Constable Diane Bloom also has family in the Shellbrook area. Her family members are avid bike tour guides and have been helping him plan his route.

Despite the brief hiccup, Keddy has now moved on to a new state and still plans to complete his journey across the continent within a year.

Mom’s reaction

Betty Keddy knows full well her son’s aspirations for adventure, having seen him tour southern Saskatchewan as well as more exotic locations in Indonesia and South America.

But despite her confidence in her son’s abilities, she admitted to paNOW her heart skipped a beat when she was initially told he was missing.

“My stomach turned and this is late at night on a Sunday and I thought, ‘OK, I’m gonna wake up in the morning and figure out what I’ve gotta do,’ ” she said.

Betty admitted she did not tell any other family members at first until she knew for sure what was happening. Less than 12 hours later, she received the phone call from her son.

“It was terrific and I wanted to slap him all at the same time,” she said.

Moving forward, Betty said she has made her son promise her to let someone know where he is going, and to have some sort of check-in time frame.

Nigel Maxwell, paNOW