Three men were rescued this month on a 31 acre atoll in the Pacific after losing the outboard motor on their boat while fishing. The men had been stranded for nearly a week on the island of Pikelot. They found that their radio had run out of battery and could not call for help. They found coconuts to eat and a small well on the island for water, but could not have maintained that for long.
They used palm fronds to spell out “HELP” on the beach, which was what ultimately saved them. A US Navy aircraft flying out of Japan saw the word “HELP” on the beach and officials were able to drop some food and a radio onto the beach before they were rescued.
Coast Guard cutter Oliver Henry picked up the men on April 6th. They men were in decent health but said that they could not have survived for much longer.