Sailors rescued from tiny, uninhabited island in Micronesia after writing ‘SOS’ in sand

Three men had drifted off course after their boat ran out of fuel

Three sailors have been rescued from a tiny, uninhabited Pacific island after writing “SOS” in the sand on a beach.

The men had been stranded for three days on the remote island of Pikelot in western Micronesia after their 7-metre (23ft) skiff ran out of fuel and drifted off course.

They had set off from Pulawat atoll on 30 July but were reported missing after failing to arrive at their intended destination Pulap, 21 nautical miles away.

The Australian and US military joined a search, and American crews spotted the Micronesian mariners’ distress signal 415 miles southwest of Guam.

“We were toward the end of our search pattern,” said US air force lieutenant colonel Jason Palmeira-Yen, who was piloting one of the American planes.

“We turned to avoid some rain showers and that’s when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that’s when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach.

“From there we called in the Australian navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island.”

The Australian navy diverted its military ship Canberra and dispatched a helicopter to the island. The men were found to be in good health and were given food and water before they were picked up and taken home by a Micronesian patrol.

Australian army soldiers deliver food and supplies to the three stranded mariners (via REUTERS)

The ship’s commanding officer, Captain Terry Morrisonthe , said: "I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world."

Micronesia, in the western Pacific, is a sprawling archipelago of more than 600 small islands scattered across a vast expanse of ocean.

Pikelot, one of the outer islands of the Micronesian state of Yap, is a low coral islet home to a seabird rookery, turtle nesting sites, and mangroves.