Many moons ago in my previous life as an FSO, I was stationed at Leigh Creek in around '86 or 87 and a similar accident occurred. Got a mayday for engine failure of a single, but cant recall the callsign. Landed on Lake Frome and sat there for 6 months (the aircraft that is, not the pilot).
The National Safety Council (remember them?) flew their dirty big Dornier chopper up and lifted the aircraft off the salt bed onto the shore of the lake. They fitted a new prop and flew it out.
