Three Fishermen Rescued After Nine Days Stranded on Uninhabited Island, Thanks to Resourceful Signaling and Coordinated Efforts

Three men, all in their 40s and longtime friends, set out on a fishing trip from Pulawat Atoll, a small island in the Federated States of Micronesia, on March 31. The trip had been a familiar routine for the friends, who had gone on this adventure several times before. However, this time, their trip took an unexpected turn when they hit a coral reef, causing a hole in their 20-foot boat’s bottom and taking on water. Recognizing that they wouldn’t be able to make it back to shore, they beached the vessel and tried to make the best of their situation.

Using their resourcefulness, the men spelled out “help” on the beach using palm fronds, hoping to catch the attention of any passing aircraft. Their plan worked, and exactly seven days later, a US Navy P-8 Poseidon plane from Kadena Air Force Base in Japan spotted the three men on Pikelot Atoll. The pilots dropped survival packages, which included food, water, and other essential items, to help the men sustain themselves until they could be rescued. The men were relieved to receive the supplies and were grateful for the attention.

The next day, a Coast Guard HC-130J Hercules plane from Air Station Barrows Point in Hawaii dropped a radio, which the men used to report that they were thirsty but otherwise okay. The Coast Guard quickly dispatched a crew to rescue the men, and when the Oliver Henry, a Coast Guard ship, arrived on the scene, the men were overjoyed to be reunited with their families. They had been stranded on the island for nine long days, and they were finally going home.

The rescue mission was a testament to the bravery and resilience of the three men, who had used their ingenuity and resourcefulness to survive on the uninhabited island for so long. According to Lieutenant Keith Arnold from the Coast Guard, the crew of the Coast Guard ship had worked with the Navy pilots to coordinate the rescue, and the men were “obviously very excited” to be reunited with their families. The friends were grateful for the quick response and the efforts of all those involved in their rescue.