By Tim Binnall
A trio of sailors who wound up stranded on an uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean were rescued after authorities spotted their 'SOS' distress signal on a beach. The three men had reportedly gone missing shortly after departing from an atoll in Micronesia back on July 30th. When they did not arrive at their intended destination, which was a mere 27 miles away, concerns were raised and a search and rescue operation consisting of forces from Australia and the United States commenced looking for the lost sailors.
Fortunately, the country of Micronesia is comprised of thousands of small islands and, as such, the men were able to land on one of those lonely land masses after their boat ran out of gas. In a testament to the vastness of the ocean, the spot where they came to rest was a whopping 118 miles away from where they had originated. Upon realizing that they were stranded and in dire need of help, the trio fashioned a fairly sizeable 'SOS' signal on the beach.
While searching for the lost sailors, the crew of a refueling aircraft from the nearby Andersen Air Force Base in Guam managed to spot the message and the beached boat. The discovery was something of a lucky turn of events as the jet had changed course during the search to avoid some rain and, in the process, noticed the 'SOS' on the island. A helicopter dispatched from an Australian Naval vessel nearby brought supplies to the men, who were subsequently picked up by a rescue vessel.