- Sailors rescued after crafting ‘HELP’ sign with palm leaves
- Stranded trio subsisted on coconuts, located in Pacific
- Coast Guard locates them on Pikelot Atoll, coordinates rescue
A “crucial factor” in locating the three individuals, according to the United States Coast Guard, was the sign. During their week-long ordeal, the forty-something sailors subsisted on coconuts.
Three sailors were rescued from a small, uninhabited island in the Pacific after using palm tree leaves to construct a massive “HELP” sign.
On Tuesday evening, the three individuals who had been stranded for over a week were located on Pikelot Atoll, which is a territory under the Federated States of Micronesia.
Unidentified but believed to be related individuals in their forties, the trio subsisted on coconuts.
They had arrived at Polowat, an alternative atoll, on Easter Sunday via a compact 20-foot vessel. Atolls are circular coral islands.
A woman reported them as missing, stating that her three relatives had not returned to their place of residence.
The area under initial search exceeded 78,000 square nautical miles.
The US Coast Guard, however, observed their sign, and the men were rescued with the assistance of the US Navy.
“A pivotal element in their discovery, the mariners carved the word ‘HELP’ into palm leaves on the beach as an extraordinary demonstration of their determination to be located.” “This ingenious action played a critical role in precisely directing rescue operations to the location,” Lt. Chelsea Garcia said in a statement.
Fishing vessels visit Pikelot Atoll, an uninhabited coral island located approximately 1,000 miles north of Papua New Guinea, on occasion.
Micronesia, of which the atoll is a component, comprises an immense expanse of the western Pacific and comprises approximately 600 islands.
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The coastguard stated that poor weather and a dearth of aircraft impeded the rescue operation. In the end, a coastguard vessel that was already underway in Micronesia was diverted to assist in the rescue due to “persistent efforts.”
A radio and survival supplies were also dropped by aircraft onto the island.
The mariners communicated via radio that they were in “good health, had access to food and water, and had successfully recovered their skiff.” Regrettably, the skiff and its outboard engine had been damaged, rendering them non-operational, according to the coastguard.
Following their rescue, the trio was returned to Polowat.
Authorities have previously rescued mariners who became stranded on the island. In 2020, the Australian Defence Force discovered three Micronesians on Pikelot, where they had written “SOS” out of palm tree fronds.
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