A Melbourne father and son who were stranded for 12 hours without mobile phone coverage in the remote South Australian outback have had an extraordinary rescue by a Perth billionaire flying his helicopter over a nearby pub.Bill Koski and his son, both from Middle Park, Melbourne, were on a dream vacation to watch Lake Eyre fill with water. While driving their Toyota on the difficult Halligan Bay Road, they were hit by a sudden and powerful storm in the far north of South Australia.Heavy rains soon turned the unsealed dirt road into deep mud and mud, leaving their four-wheeler completely stuck. Far from help and with almost no phone reception, the pair managed to send short emergency messages before their signal disappeared. He was then forced to spend the night alone in the dark, flooded desert.
A Lucky Meeting at William’s Creek
Their rescue comes through an unexpected meeting at a remote outback stop. Perth billionaire and experienced pilot Tim Roberts had landed his private helicopter at the William Creek Hotel on the Oodnadatta Track and planned to stay overnight.While in the pub, Roberts learned that emergency services were searching for two travelers who had not returned from a trip to Lake Eyre. Hearing about their situation, he decides to put aside his plans and help.Roberts joined forces with Trevor Wright, a local outback resident who knew the difficult conditions of the area. The two men flew Roberts’ helicopter over the flooded landscape to search for missing hikers.Finding the car was not easy. On top of that, the vast area of mud and water made it almost impossible to see the Toyota. After searching for some time, they finally spotted the vehicle and got down nearby, ending the scary wait for father and son.When the pilot exited the helicopter, Koski said to Roberts, “I thought you were in the military or something.”
Car stuck after heavy storm
Increasing risks around Lake Eyre tourism
The rescue occurred during an unusually wet period in the South Australian outback. Heavy rains left many sealed roads flooded, making travel dangerous for visitors who were unprepared.Halligan Bay Road, which connects to the Oodnadatta Track, is already considered a challenging route even in dry conditions. Communication services are limited in the region, making it more difficult to handle emergencies.Wright said emergency workers and locals rescued 28 people in the area over a six-week period. The increasing number of incidents shows the danger tourists face when they travel out to the outskirts to see the rare sight of Lake Eyre filling up with water.
billionaire pilot
While Roberts’ assets attracted attention, he also had the skills needed to defend. He is an experienced pilot with airline transport licenses for both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.Roberts is one of three children of John Roberts, founder of Australian manufacturing company Multiplex. The company achieved several major milestones before being sold to Canadian investment firm Brookfield in 2007. The sale gave the three Roberts siblings a combined payment of approximately $1.2 billion.After the sale, Roberts invested his share of the family fortune in several business ventures. Most of his investments went into his private aviation company Avvest, based at Perth Airport, as well as hedge fund manager Warburton Group.