Tourist is saved by SOS message scrawled in sand after 2 days lost in Outback

A lost British tourist has been plucked from the Australian outback after rescue workers spotted his SOS message on a river bank. Geoff Keys, 63, got lost in the 900 square mile Jardine National park in north Queensland, and ended up spending two days sleeping rough without food or footwear. But his message – “HELP 2807" with an arrow pointing downstream – scrawled in the sand was seen to be helicopter crews who were out looking for him. It was enough to set them on the right track and Mr Keys was finally seen waving and shouting at them from a creek. He was so exhausted, however, that he could barely move and had to be winched from the water before being taken to hospital with exhaustion, dehydration and deep cuts to his feet.

He (the helicopter pilot) came around again while I continued to jump up and down like a lunatic and this time someone waved to me out of the window. My ordeal was over.

Geoff Keys

Retired AA mechanic Mr Keys, who is on a around-the-world motorbike journey and has already made his way across Europe, Russia, China, Japan and New Zealand, got lost trying to take a shortcut back to his camp. The following day, now lost and miles from his camp, he struck on the idea of writing a message in the sand with a stick. But it was not until the following lunchtime that rescue co-ordinator Senior Constable Brad Foat saw the message. He said: “After we travelled another 6km I asked the pilot to turn back so I could head back to the drawing board, when out of the blue we spotted our missing man standing in the middle of the creek, waving at us." Now recovered from his ordeal last month, Mr Keys said: "It’s safe to say that I’m very grateful to everyone involved in my rescue.”

Their skill and professionalism is incredible. I feel stupid but lucky.

Geoff Keys

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