Mike Vilhauer just wanted to go fishing. Luck wasn't with him. After wandering a short distance from his route to look for crickets to use as bait, Vilhauer soon became lost. He was unable to reach police due to a weak cell phone signal, and made several unsuccessful attempts at finding his way back. Vilhauer managed to stay alive by drinking out of puddles and stream beds along the way. He also made a shelter using pine needles and willow branches to stay warm.

After enduring five days without food or clean water, he wasn't certain he was going to survive, but he wasn't ready to give up. Hearing helicopters flying overhead, he spelled out an 8-foot tall "HELP" on the ground with the use of pine needles, and was brought to safety after a rescue helicopter successfully spotted the sign, according to CBS.

Possible Preaching Angles: Sometimes, we spell out calls for help anyway that we can—desperate for someone to see. Sometimes, it would take an expert observer, in the right place at the right time, to recognize that we are in danger, are losing hope, are even thinking that it might all be over. But hope is never far away. Oh, and one last tidbit: after it all was over, Vilhauer was given a piece of information that could have saved a lot of worry (and a lot of pine needles). There were no fish in that lake.