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SOS spotted on camera saves missing Australian camper

SOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE Deborah PilgrimSOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE
Deborah Pilgrim had been missing for three days

A woman who spent three days missing in the Australian bush has been rescued after she scrawled an SOS message that was spotted on a security camera.

Deborah Pilgrim, 55, became lost on Sunday after separating from her camping group in South Australia.

At some point later she found herself at an empty property and wrote "SOS" in the dirt, police said.

Its owner, who lives 70km (45 miles) away, spotted the message on a video camera and alerted police.

Ms Pilgrim was found on Tuesday night local time "in good health" near the town of Sedan, according to authorities.

Police said the man, Neil Marriot, had been "intermittently" checking the cameras on his property after learning of the search for Ms Pilgrim.

"There was the SOS written in the ground, which wasn't there the day before," he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE The SOS message written on the ground as seen from Neil Marriot's CCTV cameras on his bush propertySOUTH AUSTRALIA POLICE
Ms Pilgrim had written "SOS" on the driveway of the remote property

"So I put two and two together and called police."

He said he had only recently installed the CCTV cameras after a series of break-ins at his property.

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His call to police prompted a renewed search of the area. Police said Ms Pilgrim was found within hours at a neighbouring property where she had found drinking water.

She was taken to hospital as a precaution, police said.

"It's just fantastic that the community... was able to use the beauties of technology to help find Deborah," said Supt James Blandford.

Authorities had been conducting a vast air and land search for Ms Pilgrim before she was found.