PULAP, FEDERATED STATES OF MICRONESIA — Movie clichés rarely find practical applications in the real world, but three castaways from the Federated States of Micronesia spelled out the word "HELP" in massive letters using palm leaves on the beach they were stranded on, resulting in them being spotted by a U.S. Coast Guard plane.
Three unidentified friends set to sea on April 4, 2016 from the island of Pulap in the Federated States of Micronesia, which is a collection of 607 small islands. Within a few hours the men were reportedly thrown into the ocean after their vessel capsized due to large waves.
After swimming in the darkness the men arrived on the uninhabited Fandadik Island, approximately four nautical miles from Pulap. As the hours wore on, the men's concerned relatives contacted authorities to report their disappearance and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified and agreed to assist in rescue efforts.
On April 7, a U.S. Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft spotted the large "help" sign on the beach as well as the man waving their lifejackets to attract attention. A short time later a small boat from Pulap arrived on the island to recover the men. None of them reportedly suffered any serious injuries.
The U.S. Coast Guard patrol squadron involved was in the middle of a routine deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations, and luckily was in the right place at the right time to be able to assist in spotting the stranded men. But it's also very likely that had the individuals not written their large "help" sign in the sand, they may not have been spotted by air.
Mashable reports Sector Guam public affairs officer Lt. William White said in the statement, "Our combined efforts coupled with the willingness of many different resources to come together and help, led to the successful rescue of these three men in a very remote part of the Pacific."
Can you think of any other movie survival tips that are good ideas?
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