Coast Guard rescues stranded fishermen who spelled out ‘HELP’ using palm fronds

(CNN) - Three Micronesian mariners were rescued from a tiny remote islet in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday after being stranded for more than a week.

The trio spelled out “HELP” using palm fronds laid on a white-sand beach.

Their ingenuity worked; a U.S. Navy jet spotted the sign.

According to the Coast Guard, the three men had been planning to fish around the area, which is part of Micronesia, on March 31. But their 20-foot open skiff was caught by swells and its outboard motor was damaged.

They scrambled ashore onto the uninhabited islet but didn’t have a radio with power.

The coast guard said they lived off coconut meat and fresh water from a small well on the island, which is sometimes visited by fishermen in the region.