Giant “HELP” sign saves stranded mother and daughter

[Carolyn Lloyd made a sign reading ‘help’ from dead ferns, sticks, and stones/Amalgamated Helicopters]

A mother and daughter lost in New Zealand’s wilderness for five days have survived thanks to giant ‘help’ sign they created, which was spotted by a helicopter.

Carolyn Lloyd and her daughter, Rachel, from North Carolina, disappeared while hiking in Tararura Forest Park, ABC News reports. Lloyd was visiting her daughter, who was spending a semester studying aboard.

According to the Associated Press, the two decided to go hiking for a day. But they got lost - and subsequently spent four nights in near freezing temperatures.

After getting lost, Lloyd told AP that Rachel fell in the water and hit her head on a rock. As a result, Lloyd had to carry her daughter piggyback at times as they continued their journey down the cliff.

“I was terrified as a mother,” Lloyd told AP. “I was doing everything I could to keep her alive.”

By day four, with little food left, Lloyd came up with the idea to make “help” signs. First, she made one in the creek bed and the second one, in a bush clearing, using dead fern fronds, sticks and stones, AP reports.

The pair were spotted by Amalgamated Helicopters director and chief pilot Jason Diedrichs after he saw the word “help” spelled out, according to the New Zealand Herald.

“They were certainly keen to make their presence known,” Diedrichs told the New Zealand Herald. “They were a little bit worse for wear, they’d been in there for four nights in the open with very little food so they were definitely feeling the effects of that.”

Rachel was lifted to Wellington Hospital suffering from hypothermia and malnourishment. According to AP, she is expected to stay at the hospital a couple more days with her mother by her side.