Three Micronesian sailors were rescued on Sunday after spending three days stranded on Pikelot Island in the western Pacific. They had been cruising a 23-foot skiff from Pulawat to Pulap atolls, a 26-mile journey, when they ran out of fuel and strayed far off their course. Their boat ended up on the remote island, which is nearly 120 miles from where they set off.
On Saturday, U.S. and Australian authorities in Guam initiated a search for the men after they’d failed to complete their trip. The men had written an SOS sign into the sand, which was spotted from the air by an Australian helicopter deployed from the HMAS Canberra, which was summoned to help in the search while en route to Hawaii.
The men were found in good condition without any major injuries. They were given food and water by the helicopter before being transported home by a Micronesian patrol vessel. You can watch footage of the rescue below.
