The crew of a Hawaii-based HC-130J Hercules aircraft makes contact with three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, after dropping them a radio on April 8, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
It sounds like a scene out of a movie. A group of three fishermen got shipwrecked on a deserted island in Micronesia for over a week. But thanks to a little help from up above, including the swift actions of the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, the men have been rescued.
The Coast Guard reports the three mariners, all in their 40s, reportedly embarked on their voyage from Polowat Atoll on Easter Sunday in a small 20-foot open skiff equipped with an outboard motor.
The men did have experience in navigating those waters, but they still ended up being stranded 100 nautical miles away on Pikelot Atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).
After realizing their radio had run out of battery, the castaways came up with a plan to try to get rescued.
They gathered palm fronds, spelling out the word "HELP" in the sand.
For the next week, the men waited, surviving on coconut until a Navy plane flying nearby finally spotted their signal.
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Keith Arnold said, "The HELP sign was pretty visible; we could see it from a couple thousand feet in the air."
"A Navy P-8 Aircraft from airbase in Japan was able to fly over the island and confirm that there were indeed three people there," explained Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar.
Once the Navy initially spotted the men, they were quickly able to drop down a radio for communication and survival packs to allow the castaways to hold out a little longer, and the next day they were successfully rescued.
Three rescued mariners take a photo with the small boat crew of the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) immediately following the recovery of the small boat to the cutter offshore of Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, on April 9, 2024. (U.S. Coast Guard photo)
The response team included a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon crew from Japan, an HC-130J Hercules crew from Hawaii, the USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) crew, and watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia/Sector Guam's Joint Rescue Sub-Center.
"Every life saved, and every mariner returned home is a testament to the enduring partnership and mutual respect that characterizes our relationship, making a profound impact on the lives of individuals and the resilience of communities across the FSM," said search and rescue mission coordinator Lt. Cmdr. Igisomar.
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