Darren Inglis, 34, and his friend Scott Alcock became stuck after their four-wheel-drive stalled while crossing a creek in the South East Forests National Park, near Bega, last Wednesday. 

With the vehicle partially submerged and no mobile phone reception, the pair were forced to sit tight until the Westpac Life Saver helicopter came to their rescue on Saturday.

“We knew eventually someone would find us ... but I guess there are moments where you have that thought ‘well, what if no-one does come?’,” Mr Inglis said. 

The pair rationed their food – it ran out the morning they were rescued. 

“We had two eggs and a couple of bits of bacon left and then when we saw the helicopter we decided to cook it up,” he said.

The experience won’t deter Mr Inglis from future camping trips, but an electronic tracking device will accompany him next time.

What was planned as a peaceful two-day camping trip became an anxious three-day wait for rescuers.

Kalaru’s Scott Alcock left home in his four-wheel-drive for a trip to the South East Forests National Park with 34-year-old friend Darren Inglis from Wollongong on Tuesday.

But crossing a creek on Tantawangalo Mountain near Postmans camping area on Wednesday, the engine flooded and stalled.

“Although we overstocked on food we started rationing food straight away,” Mr Alcock said. “We didn’t know when someone would be coming for us.”

The 39-year-old had planned on camping at a closer campsite before a ranger advised Postmans as a more scenic option.

With no mobile phone reception and the vehicle unable to start, they knew they shouldn’t walk too far from where they were stuck until they were found.

“The reality of it all kicked in on Friday that nobody was there yet and we decided if we didn’t see anyone by Saturday morning we would go for a longer walk,” he said.

When the pair failed to return to Kalaru on Thursday, Mr Inglis’s work colleague Anthony Yates raised the alarm with emergency services.

“Your mind plays tricks on you when you’re out there because we thought we could hear four-wheel-drives every night but it was just the wind,” he said.

Even as the Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter hovered overhead early on Saturday morning, they thought it might just be water flowing over the creek bed.

“We were about to leave and 30 seconds later we saw the Westpac helicopter,” Mr Alcock said.

“I’ve never been so happy to see a helicopter in my life.”

Police and SES soon arrived, and Mr Alcock thanked all involved in the rescue for their help.

“The only strange thing was no-one thought to call the ranger,” Mr Alcock said.

Meanwhile, just hours later, the Westpac crew also rescued an Eden man from Wallagoot Lake who had fallen out of his kayak. He was treated for hypothermia by ambulance paramedics on the scene before being taken to the South East Regional Hospital.

- Alasdair McDonald