Save our souls: sailors on a desert island were found thanks to the SOS inscription

The Australian military rescued three sailors from a tiny uninhabited island in Micronesia. And they found them thanks to a giant SOS sign in the sand. The men went out to sea and wanted to pass between two atolls, but they lost their course and ran out of fuel. They were considered missing for three days - until rescuers on helicopters noticed the inscription on the island.

The men disappeared about three days ago. On July 30, they decided to travel 43 km from Pulawat Atoll to Pulap Atoll on a seven-meter vessel. However, during the voyage they lost their course. According to the sailors, it all started with the fact that they ran out of fuel. Then the ship veered off course and washed up on the island of Pikelot, which was 200 km from their point of departure.

The uninhabited island of Pikelot, less than half a kilometer long, is a low coral atoll, densely overgrown with forest and is a nesting place for turtles and seabirds.

Later, an Australian reconnaissance helicopter landed on the island. His crew delivered food and water to the sailors. The Australian Defense Ministry reported that the rescued "are in good condition without any serious injuries." At the moment, the sailors have already been taken away from the island on a patrol boat.

The Federated States of Micronesia is a State in Oceania, located on the Caroline Islands, north of the coast of New Guinea. The state includes more than 600 small islands.