a war tale from his grandfather's experience as a soldier, Prosperi began recycling his fluids by urinating in his spare water bottle. Abiding to race regulation that advised competitors to remain stationary and await rescue, he awaited assistance. It was not until sunset that he noticed a low-flying helicopter, on loan to Marathon coordinators by the Moroccan police, approaching his direction. He presumably believed it was sent in his search. In attempts to capture the pilot's attention, he fired a small flare into the air. However, he was unsuccessful. Survival in the desert The following day, he began walking in search of shade and water, as he estimated that remaining stationary under the desert sun would endanger him to facing heat stroke. He withheld a compass within his backpack, yet in all directions he noticed nothing but sand amongst the horizon. After hours of walking, Prosperi stumbled upon a vacant Muslim Marabout shrine. To Prosperi's disappointment, the shrine was uninhabited and long abandoned. In an interview with BBC News in 2014, he stated: "I came across a marabout—a Muslim shrine—where Bedouins stop when they are crossing the desert. I was hoping it was inhabited, but unfortunately there was nobody there—only a holy man in a coffin."Prosperi used the shrine as a shelter for the following days, hoping to be found. During this time, he ate portions of his food rations within his backpack by cooking them with fresh urine on his portable burner. He also attempted to maintain hydration by sucking upon wet wipes from his pack, licking dew off of rocks during the morning and continuing to drink his urine. Prosperi further decided to plant a small Italian flag, with which he withheld in his bag, atop the roof of the structure. He hoped this would attract the attention of any individuals in search of him or serve as evidence of his whereabouts to his family if he were to die. Whilst atop the shrine, Prosperi noted a colony of bats within the tower. By removing their heads with his pocket knife, sucking their blood and eating their insides raw, Prosperi nourished himself. He further drew upon bird eggs, beetles and lizards he found near the shrine as food, absorbing any moisture from these animals by cooking the flesh. On the fourth day of Prosperi's disappearance, another plane flew over his location. He began tracing the distress signal 'SOS'