Stranded Sailors Rescued From Pacific Island After Writing ‘Help’ in Palm Fronds
In a scene straight out of Castaway, three Micronesian sailors were rescued from a remote Pacific island after spelling out ‘Help’ in the sand with palm leaves.
The three marooned men, all in their 40s, were mariners from Polowat Atoll, in the Yap State of the Federated States of Micronesia. A week earlier, they had embarked on a trip to Pikelot Atoll, nearly 100 nautical miles away, when their small 20-foot open skiff equipped with an outboard motor was damaged and rendered non-functional, according to a Coast Guard press release.
When the trio didn’t return, a relative alerted the Joint Rescue Sub-Center (JRSC) Guam, which initiated a search and rescue mission on April 6. A day later, a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft flew over the island and spotted the plea for aid they had written in the sand.
“In a remarkable testament to their will to be found, the mariners spelled out “HELP” on the beach using palm leaves, a crucial factor in their discovery,” Lt. Chelsea Garcia, the search and rescue mission coordinator on the day they were located, said in the release. “This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location.”
The day after spotting the message, a US Coast Guard aircraft crew returned and dropped a radio to the castaways. They confirmed that they were in good health, with access to food and water, but needed assistance in returning home. The Coast Guard crew deployed survival packages to hold them over until a ship could be rerouted to pick them up. Upon arrival, the USCGC Oliver Henry rescued the sailors and their equipment and returned them home.
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