A Sussex student who disappeared for three weeks while backpacking through the South American jungle was today recovering from his ordeal.

Luke Dance, 19, slipped off a path into a river and plunged over a 15ft waterfall in Bolivia.

He landed in a whirlpool and was only saved by his backpack, which was full of air.

Faced with another waterfall, the teenager spent two weeks camping in the jungle.

But when he ran out of food he was forced to brave waterfalls and rapids for two days to reach safety.

He was seen by British embassy officials in Bolivia yesterday after sparking an Interpol alert when he went missing on August 29.

Luke, from Worth, near Crawley, has been reunited with his father Michael, 48, of Climping, near Littlehampton.

Mr Dance had travelled to Bolivia to search for his son, fearing he had been kidnapped by drug gangs.

A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the Loughborough University student had suffered "a slip" during his travels but had not been seriously hurt.

A website set up to help Luke's family trace him said he had fallen during a trek in the Yonga region of Bolivia.

It said he was "bruised and battered" but in good spirits and looking forward to returning to Britain.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman said he had been spotted on his way back to La Paz by Bolivian policemen, who recognised him from a poster.

Mr Dance had been in South America for six weeks before splitting from his group for a two-week solo trek and had failed to rendezvous with friends on September 15 for their flight home.

The Foreign Office spokeswoman said: "We are very pleased that Luke Dance has been found safe and well and we are grateful to our staff in La Paz and Lima and also to the Bolivian authorities."