Navy rescues 3 castaways who wrote 'help' with palm fronds on deserted island
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Two men wave life jackets and look on as a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft discovers them on the uninhabited island of Fanadik. (U.S. Navy photo)
The Navy released stunning new photos Saturday that show the three castaways who were rescued from a deserted Pacific island after they used palm fronds to spell the word “help” in the sand.
The mariners were marooned for three days on the uninhabited of Fanadik. A Navy P-8A aircrew spotted the missing mariners Thursday waving lifejackets in front of their makeshift sign.
One of three castaways discovered by a U.S. Navy P-8A aircraft waves lifejackets to attract attention on the uninhabited island of Fanadik. (U.S. Navy photo)
The men reported their 19-foot skiff was capsized by a large wave a few hours after their departure from the Micronesian island of Pulap, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}They spent the night swimming until they arrived at Fandadik, approximately four nautical miles from Pulap.
Three men wave life jackets and look on as a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft discovers them on the uninhabited island of Fanadik. (U.S. Navy photo)
After the Navy plane relayed their whereabouts, a small boat from Pulap recovered the men from the island with no reported injuries, the Coast Guard reported.
The Navy P-8 launched at 6 a.m. Thursday from an air base in Japan and located the castaways approximately two hours into their search, Military.com reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A small boat from Pulap recovers three men from the uninhabited island of Fanadik after they were discovered by a U.S. Navy P-8A. (U.S. Navy photo)