Dire message in sand leads rescuers to father and son on remote Australian beach
.png "A local Australian photographer used her drone to locate a father and son who were stranded after their boat capsized, officials said.")
A father and son were rescued after their boat capsized when a drone captured their message for help written in the sand, Australian officials say.
Witnesses called for help from paramedics and a local photographer the morning of Wednesday, March 15, after they spotted an overturned boat off the southern coast of New South Wales, 7News Sydney reported. The photographer, Maree Jackson, began to fly her drone over the area to aid the search for the missing boaters.
As Jackson’s drone crossed over a remote stretch of beach, she noticed the word “help” written in the sand, New South Wales Ambulance said in a Facebook post.
Next to the word was the 30-year-old father and his 10-year-old son, Jackson told 7News Sydney.
“The dad used all his energy to bring himself and his son safely to shore,” NSW ambulance said. “He then made markings in the sand to draw someone’s attention - just like in the movies. And it worked.”
Paramedics said they were able to get to the pair after Jackson’s drone found them. Both had swallowed a lot of water and were given oxygen at the scene.
The father was then transported to Canberra Hospital in stable condition to be treated for hypothermia and cuts, NSW ambulance said. The son was taken to Moruya Hospital.
Rescuers said the two had capsized off of Potato Point, which is about 200 miles south of Sydney on Australia’s eastern coast.
This story was originally published March 15, 2023 at 9:18 AM with the headline "Dire message in sand leads rescuers to father and son on remote Australian beach."
