2018-10-01_Reader_s_Digest_AUNZ

October• 2018 | 47

READER’S DIGEST

home in an upstairs bedroom, Tony
and Leigh watched as the helicopter
swung past.
“Wheredoyouwanttostart?”Lee
asked.Michaelweighedtheoptions.
Theyhadtakenoffjustafewhun-
dred metres from Sam’s home, so the
bestoptionwouldbetoretracehis
journey in reverse all the way back
to where he’d started, on the Cen-
tral Coast. “Let’s go to the Swansea
roundabout and work our way to-
wardstheCentralCoastfromthere,”
saidMichaelovertheintercom.
Hegazedattheground.hebush
wassodense,theonlywayhecould
searchforsignsofSam’scarwasto
look directly down, searching for any
glimpseofSambe-
tween the trees.
Afterjusteight
minutes, Lee spot-
tedsomewhitede-
bris.heAustralian
bush is full of aban-
donedcars,butthis
was unusual – it
wasn’t burnt out,
anditswhiteroof
was glinting in the
sun.
“Is that it?” he asked Michael, ma-
noeuvring the helicopter closer and
turning it at an angle so Michael could
getabetterlook.Hecouldseeadoor
and a front guard – and there, in a
small clearing in the trees, was unmis-
takeably Sam’s car.
hey circled for a minute, trying to

spotsignsoflife.MichaeltextedTony

tocomerightaway,givinghimthe

coordinatesofSam’slocation.Itwas

toowindytolandclosetoSam,so

Lee took the helicopter to a disused

servicestation,landedthehelicop-

ter and let Michael out. As Michael

ranbackuptheroad,Leeflewthe

helicopter back to Sam’s location

andhoveredtomarkthepositionof

the wreckage, and called emergency

services.

DENSE DESCENT

Michael hadn’t planned on being the

firstoneatthescene.Hewassup-

posed to be the spotter in the heli-

copter, but now here he was, metres

from Sam’s car, and

he was terrified of

what he mightind.

A few years ago,

almost to the day,

his own son Tim

had passed away

from leukaemia. He

knew all too well a

father’s torment

over a lost child.

It felt like he was

wading through treacle as he started

the descent, past the concrete pole

and debris along the way. He still

couldn’t see the car. He glanced up.

he helicopter was still there, hovering

almost directly overhead. He must be

close now, but he could hardly move,

trying to prolong the moments before

he would ind Sam’s body.

AS A CHOPPER

PILOTOF 18 YEARS,

LEE HADFLOWN

MANY SEARCH

MISSIONS, NONE

ENDING WELL