3 men rescued from tiny island after rescuers spot giant SOS written on sand

Three stranded men were rescued from a tiny uninhabited Pacific island after rescuers spotted a giant SOS sign written on sand by them, said reports.

The men went missing three days ago in the Micronesia archipelago and their SOS sign was spotted on the Pikelot island by searchers in Australian and US aircraft, stated the Australian defence department.

The men had set out on a 7 metre boat on July 30 and were planning to travel 43 kilometres to Pulap atoll but they sailed off course and quickly ran out of fuel on their boat.

The initial search was conducted by authorities in Guam but unable to find the three men, Guam authorities reached out to Australia for help. The Australian military ship Canberra returning from Hawaii joined forces with US searchers from Guam to find the missing persons.

The three missing men were later found around 190 kilometres from their intended destination.

“I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfill our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world,” said the Canberra’s commanding officer, Capt. Terry Morrison, in a statement.

The rescuers stated that the men were found in good condition and an Australian military helicopter landed on the beach to give them food and water. A patrol vessel from Micronesia has now been mobilised to pick the three men up from the uninhabited island.

SOS is an internationally recognised signal for distress that originates from Morse codes.