Three men marooned on a tiny-and-desolate Pacific island for nearly three days have been rescued after an international air search team spotted a massive SOS sign they scrawled in the sand, according to reports.
The trio went missing last Thursday in the Micronesia archipelago after setting sail from Pulawat atoll in a 23-foot boat. They were headed to Pulap atoll, about 27 miles away, when the vessel gradually veered off course and ran out of fuel, the Australian defense department said, according to The Associated Press.
The USS Canberra was returning to Australia from exercises in Hawaii when it diverted to the area, joining forces with other searchers from Australia and the U.S. territory of Guam, according to reports.
On Sunday, searchers on Australian and U.S. aircraft looked down on uninhabited Pikelot Island — 118 miles away from where the men set out — and saw the unmistakable distress signal along the sandy beach.
Photos from the scene reveal the men may have used palm fronds to ensure the SOS was visible from the air.
An Australian military helicopter later landed on shore with food and water.
All three men were in good condition and a Micronesian patrol vessel picked them up, the AP reported.
Regional news outlets were unable to identify the men or their nationalities.
“I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfill our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world,” Capt. Terry Morrison, the commanding officer of the Canberra, said in a statement.
The Federated States of Micronesia comprises about 600 tiny islands scattered across the Pacific east of the Philippines.
SOS is an internationally recognized distress signal used in Morse code.
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