Three fishermen who were stranded on a desert island for a week were rescued after a US Navy aircraft after it spotted their “HELP” sign made using palm fronds.
The fishermen were rescued from the remote Pacific atoll of Pikelot which is part of the Federated States of Micronesia by US Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry earlier this week on Tuesday.
“This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location. This successful operation underscores the effective coordination and partnership between the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and regional partners. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved,” Lieutenant Chelsea Garcia, the search and rescue mission coordinator on the day, was quoted as saying by US news agencies.
A report from the Guardian said the rescuers were witness to another extraordinary twist in the rescue mission. A member of the Coast Guard rescue team that went ashore to save the trio turned out to be their relative.
The aircraft crew dropped survival packages, and rescuers one day later dropped a radio which the mariners used to communicate that they were in good health, had access to food and water, and that the motor on their 20-foot (six-meter) skiff was no longer working.
On Tuesday morning a ship rescued the trio and their equipment, returning them to Polowat Atoll, the Coast Guard said.
The trio survived by eating coconuts and were missing after they went on Easter Sunday fishing expedition aboard their 20ft skiff.
The coast guard officials told news agency Guardian that without the help sign made with palm fronds the men would not have been rescued.
Their niece alerted authorities when they didn’t return for six days. The Coast Guard and Navy launched a search spanning over 78,000 square nautical miles. The Navy’s P-8 Poseidon aircraft spotted their “H-E-L-P” sign within a day. Coast Guard photos revealed they had built two shelters nearby.
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