Against all the odds James endured a staggering 43 days lost in the Himalayas, protected only by the overhang of a sheer cliff face. His sister, Joanne Robertson, orchestrated an amazing search and rescue party, never giving up hope that James was still alive, and reuniting him with his fiancée and family having missed Christmas, his 23rd birthday and his engagement party. In December 1992, James returned to the Himalayas with Joanne, his wife Gaye and the 60 Minutes team to make a documentary of his incredible survival and rescue, and has since co-written a book of his ordeal with Joanne Robertson. James subsequently graduated from medical school and specialised as a child psychiatrist. He practices this medical specialty in Brisbane where he works with children with developmental delays and foster children. He is an active researcher and has won a number of awards for his publications in the international psychiatry literature.