Three men stranded on a tiny Pacific island have been saved after rescuers spotted their SOS message in the sand.
The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days after they strayed off course and their boat ran out of fuel.
They were found on the uninhabited island of Pikelot on Sunday by Australian and US aircraft who saw their makeshift distress call.
All were in a "good condition" with no major injuries, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said.
The trio had set out from Pulawat atoll on July 30 and had intended to travel about 25 miles to Pulap atoll when they veered off course.
The men were found about 120 miles from where they had set off.
Authorities in the nearby US territory of Guam initiated the search after the men failed to complete their intended trip.
They were then joined by members of the Australian military who diverted their trip home from naval exercises in Hawaii to help out with the efforts.
A helicopter from HMAS Canberra was sent to the remote island after the men’s SOS was spotted from the air.
The crew gave the men food and water before a Micronesian patrol boat carried them back to safety.
Micronesia consists of some 600 tiny islands scattered over the vast expanse of the western Pacific ocean.
