12/16/2003: Scrawled SOS saves man

Undertoad · 12-16-2003, 01:25 PM

54-year-old British nature tourist Howard Holdsworth was in barren Western Australia, driving alone to a nature preserve, but he mistakenly drove past it. And then he found his vehicle bogged down until it wouldn't move.

At that point he was totally stranded on a beautiful section of beach. But without fresh water he would soon be in trouble. So he created this huge SOS banner in the sand, which a routine passing coastline patrol happened to sea. They mounted a rescue and Mr. Holdsworth is fine.

I include it here because you always see standed people and castaways making these big SOS signs and flashing their belt buckles at passing ships and planes, but this is the first time I've ever heard of it actually working.

hairdog · 12-16-2003, 01:48 PM

Reminds me of when Gilligan screwed up the burning log SOS and changed it to SOL. A passing plane said, "Hmmm, SOL, must be the islanders' way of greeting us."

DividableFiend · 12-16-2003, 02:51 PM

...be gentle...

FileNotFound · 12-16-2003, 03:06 PM

Angle's all wrong. Looks like he's lying on the beach..

Cute overall..

tw · 12-16-2003, 05:32 PM

Why would anyone go so far out into the deadly booneys without, at minimum, a radio - one that also transmits?

chrisinhouston · 12-16-2003, 05:54 PM

UT posted: "which a routine passing coastline patrol happened to sea."

The way I see it, they were a Class C sea patrol complete with a seeing eye dog that saw them.

novice · 12-16-2003, 05:56 PM

Why waste energy underlining SOS ?

Sun_Sparkz · 12-16-2003, 06:16 PM

This was on the front page of our paper the other day, he wasnt the only one in the team. my paper read there was another tourist who decided not to wait with his vehicle and try to walk to a nearby aborigional community for help, but he died en route -" if your lost in the bush you gotta stay with your vehicle and wait for help, if you try walking away - its a matter of hours, not days before your dead." apparently it was something like 47 degrees the day they got bogged.

i used to live in Dubbo on a property and although we were only 80 K from township, i stiill had a radio CB, 3 way attached to my car, and also a portable in my glovebox just in case i had to walk to get a signal. I feel the Australian Tourism Association should have more assistance for the tourists that come here, everyday you hear of someone lost in the desert! or picking up a hitchhiker! or just not expecting the dangerous heat and terrain that we have here!

Undertoad · 12-16-2003, 06:19 PM

(why underline?) So they would know which way was up, silly!

(I'm just trying to match my current user title, which is back to "often wrong")

Undertoad · 12-16-2003, 06:23 PM

The story (which I forgot to link) mentioned that he did have some survival skills, but he found it difficult to put them to use, because it was so hot he couldn't think straight.

Sun_Sparkz · 12-16-2003, 06:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Undertoad
(why underline?) So they would know which way was up, silly!

(I'm just trying to match my current user title, which is back to "often wrong")

which ever way (up or down) you look at SOS it is still SOS.

(im just pointing out the already pointed out obvious and makin a fool of sun_sparkz arnt i?)

Happy Monkey · 12-16-2003, 06:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sun_Sparkz

which ever way (up or down) you look at SOS it is still SOS.
(im just pointing out the already pointed out obvious and makin a fool of sun_sparkz arnt i?)

I expect so.
But that makes it an ambigram, which is cool.

Elspode · 12-16-2003, 08:03 PM

Maybe he underlined it because he was trying to make it a link.

We're so technologically adapted these days, it is hard to separate yourself from it...I once tried to turn on the TV during a power outage in an ice storm to watch the Weather Channel...

Sun_Sparkz · 12-16-2003, 08:28 PM

I know, sometimes in winter when the gas runs out i still walk up and stand in front of the heater, when its not even on! forces of habit.

dar512 · 12-16-2003, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Elspode
Maybe he underlined it because he was trying to make it a link.

Good thing I wasn't drinking anything. I'd have sprayed my monitor.

That one snuck up on me.

12-16-2003, 01:25 PM	#1
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	12/16/2003: Scrawled SOS saves man 54-year-old British nature tourist Howard Holdsworth was in barren Western Australia, driving alone to a nature preserve, but he mistakenly drove past it. And then he found his vehicle bogged down until it wouldn't move. At that point he was totally stranded on a beautiful section of beach. But without fresh water he would soon be in trouble. So he created this huge SOS banner in the sand, which a routine passing coastline patrol happened to sea. They mounted a rescue and Mr. Holdsworth is fine. I include it here because you always see standed people and castaways making these big SOS signs and flashing their belt buckles at passing ships and planes, but this is the first time I've ever heard of it actually working.

12-16-2003, 02:51 PM	#3
DividableFiend eek eek Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: P.E.I., Canada Posts: 12	Newbie Post ...be gentle... Attached Images __________________ This Is Not Your Blog

12-16-2003, 03:06 PM	#4
FileNotFound Intouch with his inner sheep rider. Join Date: Nov 2003 Posts: 603	Angle's all wrong. Looks like he's lying on the beach.. Cute overall.. __________________ This is a rat. \|This is a hamster.\| This is a chipmunk.\| This is a Sheep Rider.

12-16-2003, 06:16 PM	#8
Sun_Sparkz Has Body Temperature Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: I come from a land downunder Posts: 1,105	save our soals This was on the front page of our paper the other day, he wasnt the only one in the team. my paper read there was another tourist who decided not to wait with his vehicle and try to walk to a nearby aborigional community for help, but he died en route -" if your lost in the bush you gotta stay with your vehicle and wait for help, if you try walking away - its a matter of hours, not days before your dead." apparently it was something like 47 degrees the day they got bogged. i used to live in Dubbo on a property and although we were only 80 K from township, i stiill had a radio CB, 3 way attached to my car, and also a portable in my glovebox just in case i had to walk to get a signal. I feel the Australian Tourism Association should have more assistance for the tourists that come here, everyday you hear of someone lost in the desert! or picking up a hitchhiker! or just not expecting the dangerous heat and terrain that we have here! __________________ We'll never be as young as we are right now

12-16-2003, 08:03 PM	#13
Elspode When Do I Get Virtual Unreality? Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Raytown, Missouri Posts: 12,719	Maybe he underlined it because he was trying to make it a link. We're so technologically adapted these days, it is hard to separate yourself from it...I once tried to turn on the TV during a power outage in an ice storm to watch the Weather Channel... __________________ "To those of you who are wearing ties, I think my dad would appreciate it if you took them off." - Robert Moog

12-16-2003, 01:48 PM	#2
hairdog Simulated Simulacrum Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Posts: 39	Reminds me of when Gilligan screwed up the burning log SOS and changed it to SOL. A passing plane said, "Hmmm, SOL, must be the islanders' way of greeting us."

12-16-2003, 05:32 PM	#5
tw Read? I only know how to write. Join Date: Jan 2001 Posts: 11,933	Why would anyone go so far out into the deadly booneys without, at minimum, a radio - one that also transmits?

12-16-2003, 05:54 PM	#6
chrisinhouston Professor Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: Houston TX Posts: 1,857	UT posted: "which a routine passing coastline patrol happened to sea." The way I see it, they were a Class C sea patrol complete with a seeing eye dog that saw them.

12-16-2003, 05:56 PM	#7
novice Ignorance is bliss and I'm orgasmic Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: perth, australia Posts: 296	Why waste energy underlining SOS ?

12-16-2003, 06:19 PM	#9
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	(why underline?) So they would know which way was up, silly! (I'm just trying to match my current user title, which is back to "often wrong")

12-16-2003, 06:23 PM	#10
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	The story (which I forgot to link) mentioned that he did have some survival skills, but he found it difficult to put them to use, because it was so hot he couldn't think straight.

12-16-2003, 08:28 PM	#14
Sun_Sparkz Has Body Temperature Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: I come from a land downunder Posts: 1,105	I know, sometimes in winter when the gas runs out i still walk up and stand in front of the heater, when its not even on! forces of habit. __________________ We'll never be as young as we are right now

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