A British tourist has been rescued in the Australian wilderness after rescue workers spotted his SOS message on a river bank.
Geoff Keys, 63, had tried to take a shortcut back to his camp when he got lost in the 900 square mile Jardine National Park in north Queensland, last month and ended up spending two days sleeping rough without food or footwear.
Writing in his blog, Mr Keys told how on the first day he wandered around in the bush until 2am, barefoot, wearing only swimming trunks, T-shirt and hat, when he decided to sleep until daylight.
The retired AA mechanic spent the following day walking through rivers in 30C heat, hearing helicopters overhead and guessing they were searching for him.
He wrote: “It meant that I had been reported missing by my friends and also brought home to me what a terrible night they must have had, wondering where I was.”
It was then that Mr Keys had the idea of writing SOS message "HELP 2807" with an arrow pointing downstream in the sand to attract the attention of the search party.
But after three more hours walking in the bush, and darkness approaching, he had to stop and sleep another night alone.
It was not until lunchtime the following day that he heard the search helicopter again, carrying the area's search and rescue coordinator Senior Constable Brad Foat, who spotted the message.
Mr Foat said, “I was stoked as this was the first good clue we had.
"I made a decision to scout a little further before returning to reassign all the helicopters.
"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."
Mr Keys said: "I leapt off the bank into the creek but by the time I’d done so it had gone. I stood in midstream, yelling at the pilot to come back.
"He circled me once while I jumped up and down waving my hat.
"He 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."
Mr Keys was so exhausted, however, that he could barely move and had to be winched from the water, in a rescue that police say cost $800,000 (more than €500,000).
He was taken to hospital with exhaustion, dehydration, and deep cuts to his feet.
He added: "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."
