Three castaways who spelt out "help" after being stranded on a tiny Pacific island for a week had to be rescued - and it unexpectedly turned into a family reunion.
The three mariners were stranded on the Pikelot Atoll, which is part of Micronesia, were rescued by the US Navy and Coastguard on Tuesday evening after spelling "help" in palm leaves. Authorities were alerted of their disappearance after one of the men's nieces reported on Saturday they had not returned from their voyage on Easter Sunday.
The trio, who were in their 40s, embarked on their trip from Polowat Atoll around 100 nautical miles away in a small 20-foot open boat equipped with an outboard motor. They had been planning to fish the waters around the Pikelot Atoll when their open skiff was caught by swells.
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The crew spelled out 'help' using palm leaves (U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam)After they failed to return, a search was launched on April 6 after a relative called rescue officials in the US Pacific territory of Guam, saying the trio had failed to return to Polowat Atoll, more than 100 miles away, where they began their voyage on Easter Sunday.
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A huge search effort was launched, spanning an area of more than 103,000 square miles. The men had managed to make it to shore on uninhabited Pikelot, but their radio ran out of battery before they could call for help.
But, remarkably, the men were eventually found due to spelling out "help" in block capitals from palm leaves on a beach. A US Navy P-8A reconnaissance jet from the Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, was the one to spot the palm-frond 'HELP' the men had created on the beach on April 7.
The US Coast Guard had to rescue the trio (U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia / Sector Guam)“In a remarkable testament to their will to be found, the mariners spelt out "HELP" on the beach using palm leaves, a crucial factor in their discovery. This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location," said Lieutenant Chelsea Garcia, the search and rescue mission coordinator.
“This successful operation underscores the effective coordination and partnership between the US Coast Guard, the US Navy, and regional partners. We extend our gratitude to everyone involved."
Pikelot Island is tiny (US Coast Guard)The Navy jet was able to drop survival packs to the three men and share their location with the rescue centre. Then, rescuers were able to establish radio communication with the men after a Coast Guard search and rescue plane dropped one on the island.
The men confirmed they had access to food and water, saying they were in good shape. For a week, the men lived off coconut meat and had access to fresh water from a small well on the island, which is sometimes visited by fishers in the region, according to Coast Guard officials.
But despite being in good health, their skiff had sustained damage and its engine failed to restart. Navy and Coast Guard officials were able to drop aid to their trio until a ship could reach the island and take them home safely.
US Coast Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius is from Micronesia (US Coast Guard)But in a strange turn of events, one of the first rescuers on the beach was Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius who was Micronesian and spoke the local language. “I could see on their faces, ‘Whoa! Who’s this guy pulling up that can speak our language?’” Halishlius told CNN.
When he gave his name to the first of the stranded men to reach the rescue boat, the castaway was amazed to find they were related. “It’s a crazy world, I actually found out I’m related to them!” Halishlius said. “He couldn’t believe I’m with the Coast Guard trying to rescue them.”
The man was a third cousin, the others fourth cousins, he said. Commanding officer Lieutenant Ray Cerrato added: "This recent operation near Pikelot Atoll hits home the kind of difference we can make. It's about more than just performing a duty; it's about the real human connections we forge and the lives we touch.”
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Pikelot is a remote, uninhabited island, part of the Federated States of Micronesia, a Pacific nation between the Philippines and Hawaii made up of more than 600 islands spread across around 2.5 million square kilometres of ocean.
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