Social media solves mystery SOS in The Kimberley
Social media Police campaign unearths amazing boating story behind the SOS found in The KimberleyKalumburu Police in WA went to the public for assistance in May 2017 in relation to a mystery SOS sign made from rocks in the Swift Bay area of The Kimberley.
The information was spread by WA Police’s Facebook pages and was picked up by various media outlets around the world, eventually resulting in a person reading the story from the BBC in London.
The person contacted Kalumburu Police in WA to say they believed they knew the person who created the sign after being stranded on Swift Bay back in 2013.
Further inquiries by Kalumburu Police confirmed that the sign was made by a couple of sailors in distress on June 2013 and their story is really quite amazing.
CROC BITES RIB
The man and a friend were sailing a yacht in The Kimberley and went ashore in an inflatable dinghy in Swift Bay, Montague Sound, to look for a freshwater spring and Aboriginal rock art.
They tied the dinghy to a rock, but a 3.5m-long crocodile was swimming towards them so they jumped out of the dinghy and scrambled onto the rock as the crocodile took a large bite out of the tender.
The dingy deflated and they were stranded with the crocodile remaining in the area. They managed to climb further up the rocks where they remained huddled all night.
CORRALLED BY CROCS
The next day the crocodile was between the stranded crew and the yacht anchored about 600 metres out in the middle of the bay. They started to build a rock shelter, and started to prioritise: water, shelter, food and getting help.
They ended up spending seven days there. After a couple of days they saw there was a second, smaller crocodile. The two crocodiles appeared to set a line between them and the boat.
SOS MESSAGE
They made a cross out of the oars and a large SOS with white quartz rocks on the plateau. They tied-up the hull of the dinghy by the bow above the high water mark, which to a sailor would look “wrong”, and that is what saved them.
On the seventh day, a motoryacht came into the bay and they were able to flag down the occupants and were rescued suffering mild hypothermia and weight loss.
CARRY AN EPIRB AND SATPHONE
This is an important reminder to anyone travelling, sailing and exploring the remote areas of Australia — always ensure you have access to an EPIRB or satphone at all times.
Meantime, the mystery of the SOS has been solved thanks to social media.
Everything you need to know at this AMSA page about EPIRBS and Beacons.
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