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SOS Signal (also known as Distress Signal and S.O.S.) is a recurring tribal challenge. It plays on the "survival" theme of the show by requiring tribes to construct a signal at their camp to attract attention from the air. It is one of the few challenges where the winner is decided by an outside party.

Rules[]

Tribes must make a distress signal using any materials from the campsite. An airplane pilot will judge the signals. The tribe the pilot deemed with the most noticeable signal wins.

History[]

This challenge was first used in Survivor: Borneo, where it was known as SOS Signal. All castaways competed in the challenge. Pagong made a smiley face and everyone moved around to get attention. The Tagi signal said "SOS, Tagi is Groggy" and its castaways wore yellow jackets and moved in sync. The pilot viewed both signals as great, but Tagi's was more noticeable due to its castaways use of color and movement. Tagi won the challenge, winning themselves various comfort items, spices, and a knife.

The challenge was reused in Survivor: Africa, this time for immunity. At SamburuSilas suggested to build a giant SOS signal, using the thorn bushes surrounding the camp. However, Lindsey got dehydrated and was unable to help. At Boran, the tribe decided to place it in a clearing. Kim J. used her luxury item (acrylic paint) to dye the mosquito nets. Everyone took their shirts off to make it more attractive, including Tom placing a feather between his buttocks. When the pilot flew over the Samburu camp, he noted that their signal was too close to the bushes, and blended with the background, deeming it unnoticeable. Boran on the other hand, was deemed very attention-grabbing because of use of bright colors and the correct terrain. The plane dropped the Immunity Idol over the Boran camp, giving them immunity.

The challenge was used again in Survivor: Marquesas for tribal immunity. A boat captain judged the distress signals, and the tribe that made the better signal would hear his boat's horn near the winning tribe's camp, suggesting the tribe's victory. Prior to the Immunity Challenge, Rotu lost their first Reward Challenge, which was for the right to loot items from the losing tribe's camp. The winning Maraamu tribe, took advantage of their privilege, and took as much items as they could. The reward proved very helpful for Maraamu, as they used their newly acquired items to maximum effect. They tore down their lifejackets and used their foam as costumes and flags. Paschal used his luxury item, the American flag as a winning addition. The Reward Challenge loss caused a heavy blow on the Rotu tribe, who struggled to make up a signal, as they only had black-colored tarps to use. The paltry Maraamu tribe won the challenge.

This challenge was most recently used in Survivor: Palau (here called S.O.S.) as a Reward Challenge. Due to Ulong only having three members leftKoror had to choose only three members to participate. Koror chose Katie for creativity, Caryn for work ethic, and Gregg for strength. Ulong dismantled their shelter to built the SOS signal, which was their tribe name "ULONG". The pilot noted how big the signal was, but because it was near the forest, it is was not visible when it was flown directly over. Koror took the challenge comically but seriously by spelling out "Got Food?" and made a big arrow pointing to it. They tried to spark a massive bonfire, but failed to due so by time of judging. Despite that, the pilot deemed Koror's better because it was on the beach itself and visible to all. Koror won the reward in the form of canned goods, wine, and fishing gear.

Winners[]

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Borneo
"Too Little, Too Late?"
Tribal Reward S1 dirk tS1 kelly tS1 richard t
S1 rudy tS1 sean tS1 susan t
Tagi
Africa
"The Gods Are Angry"
Tribal Immunity S3 clarence tS3 ethan tS3 kelly t
S3 kimj tS3 lex tS3 tom t
Boran
Marquesas
"The End of Innocence"
Tribal Immunity S4 gina tS4 kathy tS4 neleh tS4 paschal t
Maraamu
Palau
"The Great White Shark Hunter"
Tribal Reward S10 caryn tS10 coby tS10 gregg tS10 ian t
S10 janu tS10 jenn tS10 katie tS10 tom t
Koror

Episode Challenge Type Winners
Les Aventuriers
Episode 4
Tribal Reward FRS1 david tFRS1 francoise tFRS1 geraldine t
FRS1 gilles tFRS1 sandra tFRS1 stephane t
Lanta-naï (Les Aventuriers de Koh-Lanta)

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

  • Vecepia Towery is the only person to lose this challenge and eventually finish in the top four.
  • Its usage in Palau is the only time that the winning tribe had more castaways on it than the losing tribe (8 Koror - 3 Ulong).
  • Both times this challenge was for immunity, the yellow tribe won.
  • Both times the challenge was called "Distress Signal", it was for immunity. When the name had "S.O.S." in it, the challenge was used for reward.

References[]

Recurring Challenges
A Bit Dinghy · A Bit Tipsy · A Crate Idea · A Leg Up · A Numbers Game · Air Raid · Angry Chair · Around the Bend · Back in Slack · Balancing Point · Ballin' A Jack · Barrel Bridge · Barrel of Monkeys · Basket Brawl · Better Homes and Island Living · Beyond the Wheel · Blind Leading the Blind · Blue Lagoon Bustle · Blue Plate Special · Boats, Brains & Brawn · Bone to Pick · Boulder Smash · Bow Diddley · Box Your Mind · Braille Maze · Broken China · Buggin' Out · Build It Up, Break It Down · Butch Cassidy · By Any Means Necessary · By the Numbers · Cage Against the Machine · Can't Buoy Me Love · Cannonball Run · Caught in the Web · Cell Block Sea · Challenge Pitch · Chief's Choice · Chimney Sweep · Chinese Zodiac Symbols · Cling Ons · Choose Your Weapon · Coconut Juice · Crate Escape · Crocodile Rock · Crosswalk · Cube Crisis · Dear Liza · Dive Masters · Dizzy Gillespie · Dizzy Miss Lizzy · Domino Effect · Draggin' the Dragon · Dragging the River · Drop A Log · Drum Roll · Dulcimer Stomp · End of the Line · EOC · Eve 6 · Fallen Comrades · Fast Fire · Faulty Towers · Fauxconut Bowling · Fire and Water · Fire Fighter · Fire Starter · Flips, Flops, & Flags · Float Your Boat · Floating Puzzle · Game of Bridge · Gatecrasher · Get a Grip · Get Barreled · Get Hooked · Get Your Goat · Gimme Three Steps · Great Escape Run · Hands on a Hard Idol · Hear About It Ladder · Hot Pursuit · House of Cards · House of the Holey · Idol Hands · Jail Break · Jump Shot · Jungle Relay · Kamikaze · Keel Hauling · Keep It Up · Keep on Your Toes · Kenny Log-Ins · Kicking and Screaming · Kitty Litter · Know Your Loved One · Ladder Tree Golf · Last Gasp · Letter Hunt · Lock, Load and Light · Lock Step · Log Jam · Losing Face · Mask Match · Matchmaker · Matt Finish · Mayan Pizza · Memory · Mud Pack · Mud Slide · Muddy Waters · New School · New Tribe Member · Nut Bucket · O-Black Water · Odd Shaped Bottoms · Operation Balance Build · Out on a Limb · Over-Extended · Paddle Battle · Paddle Out · Perch · Pilfering Pirates · Piranha Feast · Pole Dancing · Pot Head · Push Me, Pull You · Puzzle Dig · Q and A · Quest for Fire · Race to Shore · Ram-Ball On · Rescue Mission · Rice Race · Rise and Shrine · Rock Bottom · Rock n' Roll · Rock the Boat · Rod Screw-It · Roll With It · Roller Ball · Rung O Star · Running Down a Dream · Sacrificial Lamb · Schmergen Brawl · Sea Crates · Sea Legs · Sea Salvage · Shipwrecked · Shoot 'n' Shuffle · Shooting Gallery · Shoulder the Load · Simmotion · Slip, Slide & Score · Slither Me Timbers · Smash and Grab · Snag, Drag and Bag · Snake in the Grass · Snake Island Relay · SOS Signal · Spear-it Hunt · Spit It Out · Splash Back · Sprung a Leak · Squared Off · Squatty Probst · Stacked Up · Stairway to Heaven · Stairway to the Stars · Star Man · Station By Station · Step on Up · Stomp-ede · Strung Out · Sumo at Sea · Survivor Auction · Survivor History · Survivor Pentathlon · Survivor Quiz Show · Swahili Scramble · Swing Break · Tangled Up · Temple Transfer · The Ball Drop · The Cruel Sea · The Game is Afoot · The Gauntlet · The Home Stretch · The Maze · The Obstacle Course · This Much · Thrash, Splash & Bash · TLP O-Course · Tomb Raider · Total Recall · Troubled Water · Uncomfortably Numb · United We Stand · Vampire Bats · Vertically Challenged · Vertigo · Wall to Wall · Well Stacked · What-er Drag · When It Rains, It Pours · Wicker Flicker · Will It Go Round · Witch Hunt · Wrist Assured · Yank Your Hank · You Shook Me
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