'Help' message in the sand locates missing woman

A woman missing for four days in an Australian national park was rescued after scrawling the word "HELP" in sand. Lynette Joyce Bond, 68, was winched to safety by the police air wing after it spotted her plea in the Snowy River National Park. Emergency services were alerted at noon on Saturday after a walker discovered Ms Bond's vehicle on the Deddick Trail.



A note left on the car said it had broken down on Wednesday. No one had seen or heard from Ms Bond since, prompting local police, search-and-rescue officers, State Emergency Service volunteers, bushwalkers and the police air wing to scour the area. "Gone for help to McKillops Bridge 2.45pm 3/4 Lynette," the note on the car read.

Searchers found some of Ms Bond's belongings along the track before her message was discovered. "Air wing members spotted the woman about 11.30am on the banks of Snowy River, where she had written the word 'HELP' in the sand," Victoria Police spokeswoman Leonie Johnson said.


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Ms Bond, from Mornington, was taken to hospital for a check-up and is said to be doing well. "Think I'll buy a bicycle," she said following her discovery. Police said it was still early to know the full details of how she survived in the national park, 325km east of Melbourne. However, it is believed there was no phone reception for Ms Bond to call for help.