A trio of sailors who had been stranded on a remote, uninhabited atoll in the Pacific for over a week were rescued after they managed to attract the attention of a passing US Navy plane with a giant “HELP” sign made from palm fronds on the beach. The sailors, identified as three men in their 40s with sailing experience, had set out from Polowat Atoll on a 20-foot skiff on 31 March. Their boat sustained damage, leaving them stranded on Pikelot Atoll. A distress call from a relative prompted a search and rescue operation that covered over 78,000 nautical miles. The mariners were eventually spotted by a US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft, which dropped them survival packages. The men were in good health and had been surviving by eating coconuts. A US Coast Guard aircraft later dropped a radio to establish communication with the sailors, who confirmed their condition. The men were then picked up by the USCGC Oliver Henry and safely returned to Polowat Atoll. Interestingly, one of the Coast Guard personnel involved in the rescue, Petty Officer 2nd Class Eugene Halishlius, turned out to be related to the missing men. This incident marked the second time in four years that sailors were rescued from Pikelot Atoll after spelling out a distress signal on the beach. The Coast Guard emphasized the importance of carrying emergency position indicating radio beacons while at sea.