Australian father and son were stranded in the outback for 12 hours rescued by a billionaire

A Melbourne father and son who were stranded for 12 hours without mobile phone coverage in the remote South Australian outback were rescued in an extraordinary way... by a Perth billionaire flying his own helicopter from a nearby pub.Bill Kosky and his son, both from Middle Park in Melbourne, were on what was meant to be a dream holiday to see Lake Eyre fill with water. While driving their Toyota along the difficult Halligan Bay Road, they were hit by a sudden and powerful storm in South Australia’s far north.Heavy rain quickly turned the unsealed dirt road into deep mud and clay, leaving their four-wheel-drive vehicle completely stuck. Far from help and with almost no phone reception, the pair managed to send short emergency messages before their signal disappeared.

They were then forced to spend the night alone in the dark, flooded desert.

A lucky meeting at William Creek

Their rescue came through an unlikely meeting at a remote outback stop. Tim Roberts, a Perth-based billionaire and experienced pilot, had landed his private helicopter at the William Creek Hotel on the Oodnadatta Track and planned to stay overnight.While at the pub, Roberts learned that emergency services were searching for two travellers who had not returned from a trip toward Lake Eyre.

Hearing about their situation, he decided to put his own plans aside and help.Roberts joined forces with Trevor Wright, a local outback resident who knew the region’s difficult conditions. The two men flew Roberts’ helicopter across the flooded landscape to search for the missing travellers.Finding the vehicle was not easy. From above, the huge area of mud and water made the Toyota almost impossible to see. After searching for some time, they finally spotted the vehicle and landed nearby, bringing an end to the father and son’s frightening wait.“I thought you were in the army or something,” Kosky told Roberts when the pilot stepped out of the helicopter.

Growing risks around Lake Eyre tourism

The rescue happened during an unusually wet period in the South Australian outback. Heavy rainfall had flooded many unsealed roads, making travel dangerous for visitors who were not prepared.Halligan Bay Road, which connects to the Oodnadatta Track, is already considered a challenging route even in dry conditions.

The area has limited communication services, making emergencies more difficult to handle.Wright said emergency workers and locals had rescued 28 people in the region over a six-week period. The rising number of incidents shows the dangers faced by tourists travelling into the outback to see the rare sight of Lake Eyre filling with water.

The billionaire pilot

While Roberts’ wealth attracted attention, he also had the skills needed for the rescue.

He is an experienced pilot with airline transport licences for both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.Roberts is one of three children of John Roberts, the founder of Australian construction company Multiplex. The company built many major landmarks before being sold to Canadian investment firm Brookfield in 2007. The sale gave the three Roberts siblings a combined payout of about $1.2 billion.After the sale, Roberts invested his share of the family fortune into several business ventures.

Much of his investment went into AvWest, his private aviation company based at Perth Airport, as well as hedge fund manager Warburton Group.

Roberts began his career working as a foreman on a Multiplex construction site before moving into senior leadership roles, eventually becoming an executive director of the company.Today, his investments are managed through the Warburton Group, his private family investment office. The group has interests in aviation, property, infrastructure, investments, aquaculture, healthcare, and tourism projects in New Zealand. Roberts is also a director of Australian mining-services company Mineral Resources, which operates in iron ore and lithium.