Remembering the Hollywood film Cast Away he watched a few weeks earlier he ploughed "HELP" in the sand on Auckland's Mercer Bay. For the three hours before he managed to make it to the beach, Searancke had been struggling in the heaving water, pounded against the rocks between Karekare Beach and Mercer Bay. Ben Searancke wrote "HELP" in sand at Mercer Bay on Auckland's West Coast before feinting. Photo / SuppliedMercifully, Searancke thought he noticed some people walking along the coast hilltop tracks in the distance. "Honestly I had watched this movie Cast Away two weeks ago and he wrote help in the sand.

Source: New Zealand Herald February 20, 2021 16:05 UTC