3 castaways rescued from Pacific island after writing 'HELP' with leaves

3 castaways rescued from Pacific island after writing ‘HELP’ with leaves

NEW DELHI: In a dramatic rescue operation, a US Navy and Coast Guard team successfully saved three mariners who had been stranded for over a week on a tiny islet in the Pacific Ocean. The trio had ingeniously used palm fronds to spell out “HELP” on the sandy beach of Pikelot Island, part of Micronesia, which ultimately led to their discovery and rescue.

The mariners, whose names have not been disclosed, found themselves in a perilous situation on March 31 when their 20-foot skiff was overwhelmed by swells and their outboard motor damaged. With their radio battery depleted, the men resorted to traditional survival tactics, utilizing palm fronds to create a visible distress signal on the island’s beach. For days, they survived on coconut meat and fresh water from a small island well.

The search for the stranded men began on April 6 after a relative alerted rescue officials in Guam about the men not returning to Polowat Atoll, where they had initially set out to fish on Easter Sunday. The men were located in a remote area of the Federated States of Micronesia, a vast Pacific nation consisting of over 600 islands. The region’s sheer size made the search particularly challenging, covering more than 103,000 square miles.

On April 7, a US Navy P-8A reconnaissance jet from Kadena Air Base in Japan spotted the “HELP” sign from the air. “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,” said search and rescue mission coordinator Lieutenant Chelsea Garcia.

She reported that the trio was discovered Sunday on Pikelot Atoll by a US Navy aircraft.

“This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location,” she said. Following the sighting, survival packs were dropped to the castaways, and their location was relayed to a rescue center.

The rescue operation took an unexpected turn when the Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry reached the island on April 9. Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius, one of the first rescuers on the scene, discovered he was related to the castaways—sharing direct familial ties as third and fourth cousins. Halishlius shared in an interview, “It’s a crazy world, I actually found out I’m related to them! He couldn’t believe I’m with the Coast Guard trying to rescue them.”

Remarkably, this was not the first instance of castaways being rescued from Pikelot Island. In 2020, three other men were rescued under similar circumstances after their SOS message, spelled out on the beach, was spotted by an aircrew. This recurring scenario underscores the inherent risks and challenges of navigating the vast and unpredictable waters of the Pacific.

(With inputs from agencies)

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