Castaways rescued from deserted island by writing ‘HELP’ in palm leaves

globalnews.ca:

Three sailors were rescued from a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean after writing out the word “HELP” in palm leaves on the beach. After a week on the island, their signal for help was finally spotted by a U.S. Navy plane assisting in the search for the missing men.

A photo of the HELP sign was shared by the U.S. Coast Guard, showing the word spelled out with approximately 20 palm fronds. A small lean-to is also seen in the image.

The three men, all brothers in their 40s, were rescued by a U.S. Coast Guard ship on Tuesday from Pikelot Atoll, a remote and uninhabited island in the state of Yap, part of the Federated States of Micronesia.

“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. This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location,” said Lt. Chelsea Garcia, a search and rescue mission coordinator with the U.S. Coast Guard.

The brothers, all experienced mariners, had embarked from their home on Polowat Atoll, a Micronesian island with a handful of small communities, on Easter Sunday, March 31. During their voyage, their small, open-skiff-style boat was damaged, as well as their outboard motor. They were marooned on the deserted island about 100 nautical miles from home.

When the men failed to return home from their boating trip, a relative sent a distress call to the Joint Rescue Sub-Center in Guam on April 6 to report her three uncles as missing.

Rescue workers coordinated with the U.S. Navy to divert a P-8 aircraft from the Kadena Air Force Base in Japan to assist with the search. The Oliver Henry, a U.S. Coast Guard ship, which was already in Micronesian waters, was also