Marooned couple write 'Help' in the sand

— -- A couple was rescued today from a remote beach where they'd spelled out the word "Help" in the sand.

The pair became stranded on an island off the northeast coast of Australia Tuesday morning “after their boat smashed into rocks in a freak storm,” according to a statement from the Central Queensland Helicopter Rescue Service.

The couple spent eight hours marooned on the island, aptly named Avoid Island, enduring three storms and taking shelter in mudflats, the statement said.

They were airlifted to safety after activating an EPIRB, a device that transmits coded messages via satellite.

Photos show the word "Help" scrawled on the sand.

“Our crew found the very relieved couple waving from the beach and could clearly see where they had written ‘HELP’ in huge letters in the sand,” the rescue service said.