Some creative thinking saved the lives of three beached boaters off a tiny remote Pacific Island.
The men became grounded on Pikelot Atoll in the federated state of Micronesia after they were forced to abandon their 20-foot boat that had been overtaken by swells, reported the New York Post.
They managed to make it to shore and used palm fronds to spell out the word “help.”
Lt. Chelsea Garcia called it “a remarkable testament to their will to be found,” in a statement to NBC. “This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location.”
The men described as all experienced sailors in their 40’s set off from Polowat Atoll on Easter Sunday. A relative sent a distress call to the Coast Guard after not hearing from them after six days.
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Pikelot Atoll is about 100 miles from Polowat Atoll.
Rescuers from the U.S. Navy in Japan and USCGC Oliver Henry cutter both rushed to the search area despite bad weather conditions. A Poseidon aircraft from Japan eventually found the men eight days after their mishap after spotting their message. Crews dropped care packages to the men until more help could arrive, reported CBS News.
Eventually the Coast Guard dropped a radio to the men to establish communications and confirm they were in relatively good health.
This is the second such rescue. In 2020, three men were rescued from Pikelot Atoll after writing the words “SOS” in the sand.
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