A BOLTON woman today told how she got a text message from her scientist husband saying he was lost in the jungle 6,000 miles from home.

John Gillatt, aged 55, was missing for five days in the Malaysian rainforest - but was eventually found safe and well thanks to the text messages he sent to his wife back in Heaton.

He survived by eating plant leaves and drinking water from streams.

At the family home in Fourth Avenue, Heaton, his South African-born wife Noelene spoke of her elation after her husband was found by search teams early on Wednesday morning.

"Thank God he had his mobile phone with him and he could relay messages to me," she said.

"It"s amazing really - we both hate the things!

"We've only just got round to buying them and most of the time we have them switched off anyway!"

Mr Gillatt, a microbiologist who works for a Cheshire-based multi-national chemical company, was in Malaysia for a conference and a visit to customers.

He got lost near the Fraser's Hill holiday resort, in Pahang, eastern Malaysia, after deciding on Sunday to undertake a three-mile walk in dense rainforest.

After taking a wrong turning, he soon realised he was lost.

He had with him just an apple, an orange, three biscuits and a bottle of water.

Realising his predicament, Mr Gillatt sent a text message to his wife at home in Bolton saying he was lost and asking her to contact police.

He did not have the number of the Smokehouse Inn where he was staying.

Mrs Gillatt rang the hotel and a rescue operation was launched involving the Malaysian police, dog handlers, three helicopters and local tribesmen.

The British High Commission in Malaysia and the Vice Consul were also contacted in the hunt for Mr Gillatt.

At 6.45am on Wednesday, the dishevelled scientist was found exhausted near waterfalls six miles from where he started his walk.

The supplies he had had with him had lasted just one day.

After that, he used his knowledge of plants to eat leaves he knew to be edible and drank water from streams.

Following his ordeal, Mr Gillatt said he had slept on the ground and had thought of his wife and daughters.

"I was shouting every half-an-hour or so hoping someone would hear me," he said.

Finally, his call was answered - and he knew he was being rescued.

When he was found, he was unscathed apart from a few scratches and bruises, and he was suffering from a lack of water.

Mrs Gillatt, aged 46, said: "John is a long-distance traveller who is very fit and healthy. He's a wiry bloke and very stubborn and determined.

"I was very up and down, but we kept ourselves amused by talking about silly things and recounting silly stories about John.

"I was always very positive and, once he knew people were on the ground looking for him, he told himself to remain calm.

"His texts were all very upbeat and I couldn"t detect any visible signs of panic. We were very organised and set up a system where John would switch his mobile on every hour to conserve his battery."

Mr Gillatt"s work has taken him all over the world and he lived in Malaysia in 1995.

Lots of emails have been sent to the couple's home from friends all over the world wishing the family well.

Mr Gillatt's daughter, Claire, aged 29, said: "My dad is a real character and I always knew they would find him.

"We"ll be throwing a jungle party for him when he comes home to continue the tropical theme!"

Mr Gillatt has been a councillor in Heywood and has stood as a Labour candidate in the Heaton and Lostock ward for Bolton Council for the last four years.