News in Brief

Pilot rescues three stranded teenagers after spotting 'HELP' written in sand

The pilot alerted authorities who rescued the marooned trio after their 4WD became bogged in remote Western Australia.

A 'help' distress message written in the sand.

The teens had carved out 'help' in large letters into the sand. Source: AAP / Supplied Image

Three teenagers stranded along a remote coastline have been rescued after their desperate plea for help written in the sand was spotted from the air.

Background: The trio's 4WD became bogged in the Hutt Lagoon area south of Kalbarri, about 100km southwest of Geraldton on the Western Australian coast, on Saturday.

A pilot flying nearby notified Air Traffic Control after spotting a 'HELP' distress message written in the sand with a stationary vehicle nearby.

The trio had been stranded for about six hours with no 4WD recovery equipment or emergency beacon.

What else to know: WA Police officers deployed to the scene could only reach the group on foot across scrub and the dry lake due to an incoming tide and rough terrain.

The trio were driven to Lucky Bay, where they were reunited with family and friends.

What happens next: The vehicle will be recovered at a later time.

Read more:

Share
Published 2 June 2024 5:00pm
Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world