Three men who were stranded on an uninhabited Pacific island have been successfully rescued after using palm fronds to spell out HELP on the beach. The men had set out on a fishing trip on March 31 from Pulawat Atoll, a small island in the Federated States of Micronesia, when their boat hit a coral reef, causing it to take on water.
After realizing they couldn't make it back home, the men beached their vessel on Pikelot Atoll and created a visible HELP sign using palm fronds. A relative reported them missing on April 6, prompting a search and rescue mission that covered a vast area of 78,000 square miles.
The rescue operation involved a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon plane from Japan and a Coast Guard HC-130J Hercules plane from Hawaii. The Navy plane spotted the men on Pikelot Atoll and dropped survival packages, while the Coast Guard plane provided them with a radio to communicate their condition.
The men, who were in their 40s, were reunited with their families after being picked up by a Coast Guard ship and taken back to Pulawat Atoll. They expressed their excitement at being rescued and were reported to be thirsty but otherwise in good health.
This incident mirrors a similar rescue that took place in 2020 when three men from Pulawat Atoll were saved after spelling out SOS on the beach of Pikelot Atoll. An Australian military helicopter crew provided them with food and water before they were picked up by a Micronesian patrol vessel.
Both incidents highlight the importance of quick and effective search and rescue operations in remote areas, as well as the resourcefulness of individuals in distress. The successful outcome of these rescues is a testament to the coordination and efforts of the Navy, Coast Guard, and other involved parties.
