In the Federated States of Micronesia, sailors survived for a week on a deserted island
In the Federated States of Micronesia, three sailors stranded in the middle of the ocean survived on a desert island for over a week.
On March 31, the men set sail from Puluwat Atoll to fish in the Pacific Ocean. While fishing, strong waves damaged the outboard motor of their vessel. The sailors were forced to swim to the nearest shore and ended up stranded on the uninhabited island of Pikelot in Yap State. The radio they used to contact the coast guard was dead, so the men made the word “help” out of palm leaves in the sand in hopes of getting help.
The sailors spent a week on the island. All this time they ate coconuts and drank fresh water from a small well on the island, which is sometimes visited by local fishermen. The search for the missing men began on April 6, when one of their relatives called rescuers and reported them missing. A day later, during a search and rescue operation, the crew of an anti-submarine patrol aircraft discovered an inscription made of palm leaves on the shore of Pikelot. According to the coordinator of the operation, this is what helped the rescuers find the sailors quickly.
The men were dropped rescue kits from the air and their location data was relayed to the rescue center. Later, the crew of a Coast Guard aircraft handed the sailors a walkie-talkie. The victims reported that they were in good physical shape and were waiting to return to Puluwat. On April 9, a Coast Guard vessel arrived to assist the sailors. The victims were safely transported to the atoll.
