A New Zealand woman who became lost in a forest for 24 hours during a running race drank her own breast milk "to keep me going" and heaped dirt over herself to keep warm.
Susan O'Brien took a wrong turn during the Xterra race through Wellington's Rimutaka Forest Park and a search and rescue operation was launched after she failed to reach the finish line on Sunday morning.
The 29-year-old, who was airlifted out of the forest about 11.30am local time Monday, told reporters she "definitely thought I was going to die". Thoughts of her baby, her son and family kept her going, she said.
Susan O'Brien, seen above with her family after being rescued, drank her own breast milk after getting lost during a running race in a forest in Wellington, New Zealand
Despite having two litres of water with her, gel packs and an energy bar, the mother-of-two said she also drank her own breast milk to sustain her through the cold night.
She told the Dominion Post: "I'm breast-feeding my baby so I had a bit of my milk, which I thought, that should help me keep going."
Mrs O'Brien was reunited with her family after being rescued, and her first duty was to feed eight-month-old daughter, Meisha
Mrs O'Brien, a fitness trainer, said she got very cold and wet as night descended, so dug a hole in the forest floor and lay in it. She then blanketed herself in dirt to keep warm.
She said: "I didn't have a life blanket so I thought I was going to die. I was just so cold".
She added: "I just kept chucking dirt on myself and every time I heard something I kept screaming 'help'."
Mrs O'Brien's first duty after emerging from the forest was to feed her eight-month-old daughter, Meisha, who she was united with, along with son Jayden, and her family in a tearful scene.
Labour MP David Lammy
The H1N1 flu season and other factors has created a shortage of Mother's breast milk at the Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center's Mothers' Milk Bank in Denver. Lab tech Terry McKaig empties one donated pouch of milk into a large cylinder. Many of the d(01 of17)
The H1N1 flu season and other factors has created a shortage of Mother's breast milk at the Presbyterian St. Luke's Medical Center's Mothers' Milk Bank in Denver. Lab tech Terry McKaig empties one donated pouch of milk into a large cylinder. Many of the donors had to stop giving because they were sick from the flu or received the nasal H1N1 flu vaccine, which restricts donation for several months. In addition to the flu season, the holidays has also put a strain on the supply. Kathryn Scott Osler, The Denver Post (Photo By Kathryn Scott Osler/The Denver Post via Getty Images) (credit:Kathryn Scott Osler via Getty Images)
March 16 2010. A bottle of breast milk stands finished in front of Kim White. Kim White had her daug(02 of17)
March 16 2010. A bottle of breast milk stands finished in front of Kim White. Kim White had her daughter Audrey on March 3 and Audrey was premature. Kim has Audrey on Toronto East General's Maternal Newborn and Child Health Center, where the hospital has taught the new mom how to breast feed even with challenges like breast pumping which Kim has had to do. She wants her daughter on natural breast milk for the benefits. (Rene Johnston/ Toronto Star) (Photo by Rene Johnston/Toronto Star via Getty Images) (credit:Rene Johnston via Getty Images)
Community Health Center Gives Newborn Care Class For Low-Income Parents(03 of17)
AURORA, CO - FEBRUARY 23: Diego Gomez drinks breast milk from a bottle during a newborn care class on February 23, 2010 in Aurora, Colorado. The Metro Community Provider Network (MCPN), which treats low-income patients, has seen more than a doubling of clientelle during the last year of recession, as more people have lost their jobs and traditional health insurance. Community health centers such as MCPN could play a major role nationally if health care reform is passed, with increased subsidies from the federal government as well as millions of newly-insured low-income citizens seeking care. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images) (credit:John Moore via Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic(04 of17)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic -- Nurses feed newborn babies from bottles on April 9, 2010 in Belgrade. Despite figures showing Serbia ranks below the southern European average for breast feeding babies, the country's first Human Milk Bank opened here recently and hopes to provide a push for new moms. The milk bank at the Institute for Neonatology in Belgrade is a first not only for Serbia but also for the Balkans. For now it provides breast milk for mostly premature newborns hospitalised there, but it plans to branch out, said Slavica Simic, the head of the department. AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ANDREJ ISAKOVIC via Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic(05 of17)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic -- A woman holds a bottle of collected breast milk on April 9, 2010 in Belgrade. Despite figures showing Serbia ranks below the southern European average for breast feeding babies, the country's first Human Milk Bank opened here recently and hopes to provide a push for new moms. The milk bank at the Institute for Neonatology in Belgrade is a first not only for Serbia but also for the Balkans. For now it provides breast milk for mostly premature newborns hospitalised there, but it plans to branch out, said Slavica Simic, the head of the department. AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ANDREJ ISAKOVIC via Getty Images)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic(06 of17)
TO GO WITH AFP STORY by Katarina Subasic -- A woman breast feeds her newborn baby on April 9, 2010 in Belgrade. Despite figures showing Serbia ranks below the southern European average for breast feeding babies, the country's first Human Milk Bank opened here recently and hopes to provide a push for new moms. The milk bank at the Institute for Neonatology in Belgrade is a first not only for Serbia but also for the Balkans. For now it provides breast milk for mostly premature newborns hospitalised there, but it plans to branch out, said Slavica Simic, the head of the department. AFP PHOTO / Andrej ISAKOVIC (Photo credit should read ANDREJ ISAKOVIC/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:ANDREJ ISAKOVIC via Getty Images)
This photo taken on August 9, 2010 shows(07 of17)
This photo taken on August 9, 2010 shows tins of milk powder made by NASDAQ-listed Synutra (L1) on sale at a supermarket in Beijing, after parents and doctors expressed fears that hormones in Synutra had caused babies to develop breasts prematurely. China's health ministry said it had ordered food safety authorities in central Hubei province to investigate claims that milk powder has caused infant girls to grow breasts. CHINA OUT AFP PHOTO (Photo credit should read STR/AFP/Getty Images) (credit:STR via Getty Images)
DENVER,CO--OCTOBER 5TH 2010--Breast milk recipient, Mistina Sandoval, holds her identical twins, James Jr. left, and Josiah, right, four-weeks-old, in the Neonate Intensive Care Unit at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyteriian/St. Luke's Medi(08 of17)
DENVER,CO--OCTOBER 5TH 2010--Breast milk recipient, Mistina Sandoval, holds her identical twins, James Jr. left, and Josiah, right, four-weeks-old, in the Neonate Intensive Care Unit at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyteriian/St. Luke's Medical Center Tuesday afternoon. P/SL held a press conference Tuesday morning honoring the 5000th donor to the Mothers' Milk Bank at the hospital. The Mothers' Milk Bank was started in 1984 and it's purpose is to screen, collect, store and dispense human milk, by prescription only, to babies who have requirements and whose own mothers are unable to provide milk. Donated milk is sent to 26 different states and to more than 40 hospitals from P/SL Hospital. Andy Cross, The Denver Post (Photo By Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) (credit:Andy Cross via Getty Images)
DENVER,CO--OCTOBER 5TH 2010--Donated breast milk from Theresa Giarratano at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center Tuesday morning. Giarratano was honored today at the hospital for being the 5000th donor to Mothers'(09 of17)
DENVER,CO--OCTOBER 5TH 2010--Donated breast milk from Theresa Giarratano at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center Tuesday morning. Giarratano was honored today at the hospital for being the 5000th donor to Mothers' Milk Bank. The Mothers' Milk Bank was started in 1984 and it's purpose is to screen, collect, store and dispense human milk, by prescription only, to babies who have requirements and whose own mothers are unable to provide milk. Donated milk is sent to 26 different states and to more than 40 hospitals from P/SL Hospital. Andy Cross, The Denver Post (Photo By Andy Cross/The Denver Post via Getty Images) (credit:Andy Cross via Getty Images)
Donated Breast Milk Program(10 of17)
BOSTON - JANUARY 27: Christine Hobbs gives her son Cooper a bottle for the first time. Cooper is the smallest of her quadruplets born premature, Her babies all benefited from the donor breast milk program at The Brigham and Women's Hospital. Two of her children are still in the NICU, one is at Children's and one is at home. Hobbs who had breast cancer knew she would not be able to provide all the milk that was needed for four babies. The babies now are on a mixture of her milk and formula. (Photo by Joanne Rathe/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) (credit:Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(11 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(12 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Icecreamists shop owner Matt O'Conner outside his shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(13 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(14 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Icecreamists shop owner Matt O'Conner eating Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(15 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE L to R Lucy Balazs, 13, from Primrose Hill, Issy Summerfield, 13, from Belsize Park and Daria Koren, 14, from Hampstead trying Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(16 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Mum Hannah Becker (36) and daughter Josie (2) trying Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)
Ice Cream Shop Creates Breast Milk Ice Cream(17 of17)
LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM - FEBRUARY 22: EXCLUSIVE Victoria Hiley, 35, one of the women who provides the breast milk for Baby Gaga breast milk ice cream at The Icecreamists shop on Feburary 22, 2011 in London, England. A Yorkshire mum loves breast feeding so much she has decided to have her milk turned into a radical new ice-cream. Victoria Hiley, 35, from Leeds donated a total of 30 fluid ounces of breast milk to a new London based ice-cream parlour after seeing an advert on the internet. Aptly named Baby Gaga, the ice-cold breast milk concoction will soon be available to ice-cream lovers at The 'Icecreamists' parlour in Covent Garden. Each donor receives £15 for every ten ounces of milk extracted by breast pumps. Health checks for the lactating women are exactly the same used by the NHS to screen blood donors. Founder of The Icecreamists, Matt O'Connor, is confident his take on the miracle of motherhood - priced at a cool £14 - will go down a treat with the paying public. Fore information visit: www.icecreamists.com (Photo by Nick Obank / Barcroft Media / Getty Images) (credit:Barcroft via Getty Images)