Cocklebiddy: Couple’s disgusting but potentially life-saving act after their Ford Ranger ute got bogged in the Nullarbor
A couple on the road have revealed how they collected their own urine in case they ran out of water with their urine stuck deep in the remote Aussie Outback.
Carl and Rose Jakeway’s Ford Ranger became stuck in the mud along a remote 20km 4WD circuit near Cocklebiddy in a remote part of Western Australia’s Nullarbor last Wednesday.
The couple tried to free the car for three days before activating their emergency beacon after their car jack broke.
Due to bad weather, police were unable to respond to the couple’s request for help until Saturday, when they were finally rescued.
Despite having about two days’ worth of food and water left, the couple feared the worst and began saving their urine to drink in case they ran out of water while they waited for help.
Carl and Rose Jakeway (pictured) spent four days stuck in the Nullarbor
The couple became stuck in the mud (pictured) and spent three days trying to free their vehicle before it activated a distress beacon. The photo shows the moment they were found the next day
The couple said they were “lucky” that they did not have to drink their urine to avoid dehydration.
Mr. Jakeway said they started rationing their beer long before they thought about rationing their water.
The couple from the Clare Valley, north of Adelaide, were traveling west to Busselton to see family when they made the impromptu decision to ‘move back’.
Their ute suddenly sank so far into the ground that Mrs Jakeway could no longer ‘get out’ of the car.
Footage from a WA Police Air Wing shows how deep in the hardened dirt the couple was eventually found.
Due to the bad weather, the police were unable to respond to the couple’s request for help until the next day
In a radio recording between Mr Jakeway and a police air force officer, he said: ‘We’ve been here for four days now, quite bogged down, and starting to run out of supplies.
“We have 24 to 48 hours of supplies left.”
“But the (tire) jack is broken and we’re kind of in the middle of the bush.”
A view from the air wing showed the stuck vehicle being recovered using a snatch strap.
“The plane turned around and we were quite happy, I can tell you that,” Jakeway told the ABC.
“We shared a big hug and a kiss, that was probably the first thing we did.”
The couple tried to free the car for three days before activating their emergency beacon after their car jack broke.
Goldfields-Esperance Police Inspector Mick Kelly confirmed the couple were unharmed and in good health.
He said the Jakeways’ experience as skilled travelers should serve as a warning to those who venture off the beaten track to ensure they are well prepared.
They also need emergency communications equipment, food and water and must be aware of weather and road reports.
“The key message from this rescue is that the occupants remained with their vehicle and had sufficient resources and food to remain there for a number of days,” Inspector Kelly added.