Castaways rescued from deserted island after writing 'HELP' in sand with palm tree fronds
Sometimes the best way to save your life is to think "what would they do in the movies?" With nothing more than their ingenuity and some palm tree fronds, three castaways have been rescued from a deserted island after they wrote the word "HELP" in the sand.
The unidentified legends had spent three days living like Tom Hanks on the remote, uninhabited Fanadik Island in the Pacific ocean. A Navy plane spotted the huge sign along with the men waving their life jackets on Thursday and came to their rescue.
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The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed in a statement a Navy aircrew based in Japan was responsible for the rescue. The tiny island is one of 600 islands that are part of the Federated States of Micronesia.
The men told authorities they had become stranded when their small boat got caught in large waves and capsized on Apr. 4. They said they were forced to swim to shore in the middle of the night.
They had been reported missing on Tuesday, with a search by vessels in the region launched immediately. The initial search lasted for 17 hours, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. On Thursday morning, the Navy aircrew joined the search and discovered the crew after two hours.
After three days on the island, the survivors were spotted by the aircraft holding their life jackets in the air, with the handmade S.O.S. sign evident from the sky. The men were picked up and taken by a small boat to the island of Pulap.
"Our combined efforts coupled with the willingness of many different resources to come together and help, led to the successful rescue of these three men in a very remote part of the Pacific," Sector Guam public affairs officer Lt. William White said in the statement.
These guys have proven it definitely pays to watch Survivor and take notes.
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