The man behind the headline: Mihai Salajanu

By Kimberly Grabham.

The 27-year-old man found dead in dense bushland near the river at Uardry, Mihai-Robert Salajanu (pictured above left), has been on the mind of many in the district of late. 

In our little outback bubble, misadventure and catastrophe pierce the surface of our consciousness for a short time, but are quickly forgotten. 

When taking a dive into the person Mihai was, understanding, empathy and a small feeling of connection begin to rise to the surface. 

Let’s start with what we know.

Mihai was found on day one of a three-day organised search, on July 23.

 It is believed he perished due to exposure. Mihai, from Victoria, rented a car in Queensland (pictured above right) a white MG hatchback with Queensland registration 091-HM6. 

I explored his route from Victoria, on to Queensland, and then his travel inland into New South Wales near the townships of Tamworth, Coonabarabran, Dubbo, Bathurst, and West Wyalong, which equates to a marathon of some 49 hours of travel.

Mihai ended up near Carrathool on May 19 or 20. 

He was reported missing to Victoria Police last month, on June 1, and inquiries into his whereabouts began.

Police say his vehicle collided with a kangaroo, which was found dead nearby, resulting in the car being abandoned on the side of the road near Carrathool village. 

Research reveals Mihai attained a Certificate IV in Mental Health in 2023. 

He was a keen writer, with his writings demonstrating a self-aware and introspective nature.  

He wrote many pieces on mindfulness and other topics on Substack, an American online platform that allows journalists, writers, and other content creators to publish newsletters and establish a subscription-based audience. 

“There was a romantic, rose-tinted view I had in setting out, something in the spirit of the freewheeling, new age, and naturalist sixties - a great odyssey, a liberating adventure ‘into the great wide open,” he wrote in 2023. 

“Most of us living in urban environments are exposed to technology and media rich in stimulation,” Mihai wrote in a piece in 2020. 

“Evidence suggests constant exposure to such demanding environments can have a cost to our mental health and cognitive abilities. 

“A perceptible example being a reduction in our attentional capacities. 

“Research reveals that immersing ourselves in a natural environment without using technology can counteract this. 

“Nature is low in stimulation and emotionally pleasing, factors contributing to replenished attention. Nature immersion is a gentle antidote to a mind and body that are confronted with an abrupt and demanding urban world.”

A person not from this area may not have known temperatures in Carrathool this winter reached below zero at night time. 

Perhaps an element of declining mental health played a role in this death. 

Perhaps after his collision Mihai may not have had clarity of thought.

The cliché life is so short is indeed a cliché because it is true. 

Life can turn on its head in an instant and one has to wonder, if he was better prepared for the conditions of this area, would the situation have turned out differently. 

If he had chosen the other path, the one to Carrathool town, he would have received help and resources. 

Nevertheless, the car’s gone, his belongings and body taken by the police, his family now have answers. 

We cannot dwell on the ‘what if’.

 We can only remember who he was, and remember that Mihai was so much more than a throwaway headline.