'HELP' written in palm fronds lands rescue for Pacific castaways

Los Angeles: Sometimes all you have to do is ask for HELP : That s what three men stranded on a deserted Pacific island learned earlier this week, wr...

Los Angeles: Sometimes all you have to do is ask for "HELP": That's what three men stranded on a deserted Pacific island learned earlier this week, writing the message in palm fronds which were spotted by US rescuers.

The trio, all experienced mariners in their 40s, became stranded on a lonely island after setting off from Micronesia's Polowat Atoll on March 31 in their motor-powered skiff which subsequently experienced damage.

They were reported missing last Saturday by a woman who told the US Coast Guard her three uncles never returned from Pikelot Atoll, a tiny island in the remote Western Pacific.

"In a remarkable testament to their will to be found, the mariners spelled out 'HELP' on the beach using palm leaves, a crucial factor in their discovery," said search and rescue mission coordinator Lieutenant Chelsea Garcia.

She reported that the trio was discovered Sunday on Pikelot Atoll by a US Navy aircraft.