Israeli couple lost in desert for two days saved after writing SOS in rocks
Two hikers in their 30s attract attention of helicopter with stone appeal; they’d taken shelter in a hole, caught lizards for food, after veering off track in Negev’s Nahal Nekarot
SOS from rocks which led to rescue of Leila (l) and Daniel (inset) on May 22, 2018, after they got lost during a hike in the Negev. (Har Hanegev Search & Rescue Team / Screen capture: Hadashot news)
A helicopter saw an SOS written in rocks Tuesday in Israel’s southern Negev desert, and rescued the couple who made it — who had gotten lost during a hike two days earlier.
Leila and Daniel, who did not give their last name, told Hadashot news that they somehow veered off the trail while hiking in Nahal Nekarot near the Ramon crater, and realized they were lost.
The couple, in their 30s decided, to make the SOS so that rescuers could find them.
Their families had not heard from them since Sunday, and early on Tuesday morning called the rescue services to help look for the couple.
The two told Hadashot that they had very little water left and were worried about dehydrating, so they took shelter from the sun by digging holes on either side of a shallow cave and moving from one side to the other as the sun moved from east to west.
Leila (l) and Daniel, who were rescued after getting lost during a hike in the Negev on May 22, 2018. (Screen capture: Hadashot news)
Daniel told the news channel he trapped some lizards to eat because they had nearly run out of food, but only he ate them; Leila refused.
They were rescued by helicopter and taken to Beersheba’s Soroka Medical Center, and after tests and treatment they were released.
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