An SOS message scrawled in dirt and captured on CCTV led police to a woman missing for three days in dense South Australian bushland.
Deborah Pilgrim, who disappeared on Sunday morning, says she also lit fires and left "calling cards" but didn't think anyone was searching for her.
"I thought I was on my own out there and nobody had any idea," she told reporters on Wednesday.
"I walked through the daytime and slept at night, found little shanty places, properties, that people weren't living in."
Ms Pilgrim, 55, went missing from Sedan, about 100km northeast of Adelaide, where she had been camping with friends.
"I went out for a walk in the bush and, before I knew it, I didn't know where I was," she said.
"It's as simple as that."
She was found late on Tuesday night after nearby property owner Neil Marriott noticed on CCTV footage that someone had written SOS in the driveway of his bush block.
"I put two and two together and called police, but by the time they were able to get out there it was dark, so they found the SOS on the ground but then they also found a hoodie jacket which obviously belonged to the lady," Mr Marriott told ABC Radio Adelaide on Wednesday morning.
Ms Pilgrim was located on a neighbouring property, where she had access to water, and said the moment she was found by police was was "so overwhelming".
"I think I dropped to the ground," she said.
"I just ran towards them, it was wonderful."
Dehydrated, she was taken to Angaston Hospital "as a precaution" but released on Wednesday morning.
"I would like to thank everybody who has helped to find Deb," her partner, Harry Willcox, told reporters as they returned home.
A widescale search of the area was launched after Ms Pilgrim went missing, utilising resources including the police helicopter, mounted operations, STAR group, SES volunteers and drones.
But Murray Mallee Superintendent James Blandford said she was discovered about two kilometres outside of the search zone.
He said police had held "grave fears" for Ms Pilgrim's safety, and were planning on winding up the search after Wednesday.
"We were really concerned that that area is quite harsh ... (it's) very easy to lose your footing and, of course, with venomous reptiles around the place," he said.
"So it's a really good news story."
Australian Associated Press
