[KJC1]

They could have asked for helped getting unlost.

It is that simple.

[muawiyah]

That's what I said. They did exactly what you or I would do ~ they found someone who spoke their own language ~ Arabic.

This can be a risky business in the US since there are probably more folks who speak Classical Arabic than speak the current Egyptian version.

Problem was their "help" simply wasn't competent to handle their particular problem.