Australian And US Military Help Rescue Stranded Men From Pacific Island

The Australian and US military have helped rescue three men who were left stranded on an uninhabited Pacific island for nearly three days.

The men were rescued after military aircraft crew noticed their 'SOS' message in the sand in the Micronesia archipelago, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said.

The trio ended up on Pikelot Island, 120 miles west from Pulawat atoll where they had left a few days earlier on 30 July.

The men had intended to travel only around 25 miles to Pulap atoll when they sailed off course and their seven-metre skiff ran out of fuel, the ADF said.

Searchers in Guam, a nearby US territory, asked for Australian support to find the missing men.

Australian naval vessel HMAS Canberra, which was returning home from exercises in Hawaii, was diverted to the remote area and joined forces with US crews.

After spotting the men's SOS signal, an Australian Army Tiger helicopter landed on the beach at Pikelot Island.

The men were found in good condition and were given food and water before being picked up by a Micronesian patrol boat.

Cover image: An Australian Army Tiger helicopter lands on Pikelot Island in Micronesia to rescue the stranded men (Picture: Australian Defence Force).