SA: Canoeists say mission was success despite lift to rescue

AAP General News (Australia)
04-14-2004
SA: Canoeists say mission was success despite lift to rescue

Two adventurers rescued by a media helicopter during a bid to canoe across Lake Eyre
insist their mission's a success and they accepted the lift only for the thrill of it.

Thirty-year-old BEN KOZEL and 35-year-old TIM JARVIS were picked up from the South
Australian lake's quagmire late yesterday after refusing police help.

The 8,884 square kilometre lake, Australia's largest, is usually dry, but last month
received a large amount of rainfall.

As the adventurers tried to cross the lake on Sunday, water levels rapidly dropped
until the water evaporated and their boats became stuck in the mud.

They refused police help then used skis to trek across the mud.

Today, Mr JARVIS insists the pair were only 20km away from their support team, with
enough water to wash, let alone drink, when they accepted the helicopter ride.

He says they could have made their own way out of the vast lake.

AAP RTV af/sd/as/rp

KEYWORD: CANOEISTS (ADELAIDE)

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