Photo: U.S. Coast Guard Forces Micronesia
Three fishermen were rescued after spending a week stranded on a tiny, uninhabited island in the Pacific Ocean. The United States Coast Guard said the men were preparing to fish in the waters near Pikelot Atoll when a large swell damaged the outboard motor on their 20-foot vessel.
The men managed to make their way to Pikelot Atoll, but the battery on the radio was dead, so they couldn't call for help.
On April 6, a family member of one of the fishermen contacted the Coast Guard and said the three men left Polowat Atoll on March 31 to go fishing but never returned. Polowat Atoll is about 100 miles from Pikelot Atoll.
Both atolls are part of the Federated States of Micronesia, an island nation of more than 600 islands scattered throughout roughly 965,000 square miles of the Pacific Ocean between the Philippines and Hawaii.
A U.S. Navy P-8A reconnaissance jet was dispatched from Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, Japan, to search for the missing men. On April 7, the jet found the word "HELP" spelled out in palms on the beach of Pikelot Atoll.
The pilot dropped supplies for the three men and then sent their location to the Coast Guard.
The next day, a Coast Guard HC-130 dropped a radio for the men, letting them know that a rescue boat was on the way.
On April 9, a Coast Guard cutter arrived at the Pikelot Atoll to bring the men home. When the fishermen met their rescuers, they were shocked that Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius spoke Micronesian.
It turned out that Halishlius was related to one of the stranded men.
"It's a crazy world, I actually found out I'm related to them!" Halishlius told CNN. "He couldn't believe I'm with the Coast Guard trying to rescue them."
The fisherman survived by eating coconut meat and drinking from a freshwater well on the atoll.
"This recent operation near Pikelot Atoll hits home the kind of difference we can make. It's about more than just performing a duty; it's about the real human connections we forge and the lives we touch. Every day, I'm reminded of the impact we have and the bonds we build. It's incredibly rewarding to see the faces of those we've helped. Here on Oliver Henry, we're not just a crew; we're part of the heartbeat of the Pacific, and I couldn't be prouder of the work we do," said Lt. Ray Cerrato, commanding officer of USCGC Oliver Henry.