Giant ‘SOS’ Sign Saves Five Stranded Australian Castaways!

Five Australian snorkelers trapped on a tiny rocky outcrop, 20 miles off the coast were rescued after they drew a large SOS sign over the sand bar, reports NyDailyNews. The SOS sign was spotted by rescue helicopters scourging the area for the missing people. The castaways were part of a group who were on a leisure snorkeling trip in the area.

Trouble started after the five of them came across a rocky patch a few miles north off the Mackay City coast and anchored their boat there to explore. The group were busy collecting shells and exploring the natural beauty of the area and didn’t notice that their only way out from there, the boat had broken anchor and had started drifting away. By the time they realized the boat had gone, it was too late. One of the men also tried to make a dash towards the boat by swimming towards it – only to realize it was simply too far out in the sea. The boat had all the phones and communication equipment the group had bought with them.

Meanwhile, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, it was after the Queensland water police discovered a six-meter boat adrift with nobody on-board that a search and rescue operation was launched. The boat was found adrift near Brampton Island, off the Queensland coast. When a search in the area by the police on boats didn’t help, a helicopter was called in.

Meanwhile, people stranded on the island decided to scrawl a large SOS sign on the sand in hope that eventually a rescue helicopter or plane would fly past the area and spot them – and that is exactly what happened. At around 5:30 pm local time, rescuers on board the helicopter spotted the SOS sign and later also saw the five people standing on a rocky outcrop. The helicopter did a fly past and went away – only to return 20 minutes later. They had indeed spotted the SOS sign! One of the rescued persons was Craig Gilbert who recalls, “We saw the helicopter and we thought ‘oh, you beauty’ and then it disappeared and we thought, ‘Oh no – we better look out for our beds for the night’ – then it came back probably 20 minutes later.”

By the time the helicopter saw them, it was already nine hours since their boat got adrift. Eventually all of them were rescued and are relieved to have been found – all thanks to that low tech SOS sign that they decided to draw on the sand. Meanwhile, all the five rescued people were treated for sunburn and dehydration.

This incident might also remind you about another story The Inquisitr had reported a few months ago when a Castaway who was adrift for 16 months was finally found.

Do you think it was their decision to draw the SOS sign that saved their lives or was it sheer luck?

[Image via ABC, RACQ CQ RESCUE/EPA]