Three sailors stranded on an island in the Pacific Ocean were rescued earlier this month after sending out a loud “HELP” signal by spreading palm fronds on the beach – a scene straight out of a movie.
The men, all aged in their 40s, left Polowat Atoll, a small coral island in the Federated States of Micronesia, on March 31 aboard a small 20-foot skiff. Nearly a week later, on April 6, a relative reported them missing.
On April 9, U.S. military forces rescued the group from Pikelot Atoll, another small island in Micronesia about 1,000 miles north of Papa New Guinea and about 100 nautical miles away. where the men had gone.
“In a remarkable testament to their desire to be found, the sailors spelled ‘HELP’ on the beach using palm fronds, a crucial factor in their discovery. This act of ingenuity was essential in guiding the efforts of rescue directly to their location,” the lieutenant said. Chelsea Garcia, search and rescue mission coordinator at the time the men were found, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
A US Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft discovered the sailors. They dropped survival packages, while Coast Guard Cutter Oliver Henry was redirected to Pikelot to rescue the men whose boat had been damaged.
A survival expert told Business Insider that men are smart at creating a signal, but there may be even more effective ways to do it to let others know you’re in distress.
The universal rule of three
Cat Bigney, a survival consultant and instructor at the Boulder Outdoor Survival School, said the best way to get spotted by a rescue team is often to start a fire, because a large chimney can be spotted miles away .
And not just one fire, but ideally three. Three of anything is considered the universal distress signal: three fires, three whistle blasts, three gunshots. Think of the original SOS call, the Morse code distress signal consisting of three dots, three dashes and three dots.
Bigney said it’s most effective to light three fires in a row because the succession of smoke vapors will signal to anyone who can see them that you need help.
“You have to use anything that will produce a lot of smoke” to start the fire, she explained, such as green vegetation or damp wood, which produce more smoke because they burn at a lower temperature and cause incomplete combustion.
Depending on the circumstances, it may be best to wait to light the lights until a plane or boat is visible to ensure you are ready when a rescue team is nearby and you don’t miss them.
Beyond fires, Bigney said it’s ideal to create contrasting signals. So in the case of the men stranded on Pikelot Atoll, the palm fronds on the bright white sand may have created enough contrast to be easily visible from a distance.
It is also generally recommended to spell SOS rather than a message such as “HELP”, partly because the letters of SOS can also be read backwards.
“Now what they did worked,” Bigney said of the rescued men. “So I think the take-home message is to be creative and do something.”
The Coast Guard said the men had access to food and water while they were stranded with their damaged boat. Bigney said it’s not necessarily the most dire survival situation, but other factors, like incessant sand fleas or nearby predators, could make it difficult for some people to think clearly.
“They did a good job. They remembered to call for help,” she said, adding, “A lot of times it’s just a mind game in any situation.”
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