Three fishermen were successfully rescued after being stranded on a deserted Pacific island for over a week. Their ingenious use of palm fronds to spell out the word "HELP" on the beach caught the attention of Navy and Coast Guard aviators, who spotted the distress signal from several thousand feet in the air.

The men had set off on March 31 from Pulawat Atoll, a small island in the Federated States of Micronesia, with only a 20-foot boat equipped with an outboard motor. However, their fishing expedition took a disastrous turn when their boat struck a coral reef, causing it to sustain a hole and take on water, according to Lt. Keith Arnold of the Coast Guard.

Realizing that they wouldn't be able to make the journey back home, the stranded fishermen decided to beach their vessel and wait for rescue. On April 6, a concerned relative reported them missing to the Coast Guard facility in Guam, prompting a search operation covering a vast area of 78,000 square miles.

Fortunately, the men's ordeal came to an end when the crew of a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon plane from Kadena Air Force Base in Japan spotted them on Pikelot Atoll. They immediately dispatched survival packages to the fishermen. The following day, a Coast Guard HC-130J Hercules plane from Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii dropped off a radio, allowing the stranded men to communicate their needs.

Lt. Keith Arnold commended the resourcefulness of the fishermen, stating, "The 'HELP' sign was pretty visible. We could see it from a couple of thousand feet in the air." The Navy and Coast Guard quickly coordinated efforts to rescue the men, who were described as "obviously very excited" upon being reunited with their families, according to Coast Guard L. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar.

Interestingly, this is not the first time such a rescue has taken place in this area. In 2020, another group of three men from Pulawat Atoll was rescued on Pikelot Atoll after spelling out "SOS" on the beach. An Australian military helicopter crew provided them with much-needed food and water before they were picked up by a Micronesian patrol vessel.

The successful rescue of these stranded fishermen serves as a testament to the determination and resilience displayed by those involved in search and rescue missions. It also highlights the importance of using available resources and creative measures in dire situations.

The men's harrowing experience highlights the dangers that can arise during maritime expeditions, emphasizing the need for preparedness and caution when venturing into unfamiliar waters.