World
US Coast Guard, Navy rescue 3 fishermen from deserted island after spelling 'HELP' with palms
Three men who went missing after leaving from Polowat Atoll, Micronesia, to go fishing were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard on Tuesday, after a U.S. Navy plane saw their plea for “help,” which was spelled out on the sand using palm tree fronds.
The Coast Guard said in a press release that the three men, all in their 40s, left from Polowat Atoll on March 30 to go fishing near Pikelot Atoll, a 31-acre deserted island roughly 100 miles from where they left in a 20-foot skiff with an outboard motor.
The three men, who were not identified, were reportedly experienced in navigating the waters, though when they went missing, family members became concerned.
Joint Rescue Sub-Center (JRSC) Guam started coordinating search and rescue operations after the trio was reported missing.
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The crew of a Hawaii-based HC-130J Hercules aircraft makes contact with three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, after dropping them a radio on April 8. The aircrew was able to inform the mariners that USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) would arrive on April 9 and be able to transport them home to Polowat Atoll. (U.S. Coast Guard)
The efforts presented several challenges because of aircraft availability and weather conditions, the Coast Guard said, but eventually a Navy P-8 aircraft joined the search out of Kadena Air Force Base in Japan. Also joining the search was the USCG Cutter Oliver Henry.
The search area spanned over 78,000 square nautical miles.
On April 7, a P-8 Poseidon aircraft located the mariners on Pikelot Atoll and were able to confirm their condition.
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The crew of USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) helps transfer the belongings of three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia, on April 9. (U.S. Coast Guard)
“In a remarkable testament to their will to be found, the mariners spelled out ‘HELP’ on the beach using palm leaves, a crucial factor in their discovery. This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location,” Lt. Chelsea Garcia said. “This successful operation underscores the effective coordination and partnership between the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Navy, and regional partners.”
The crew of the aircraft deployed survival packages to the fishermen, while the Oliver Henry was rerouted to the atoll to rescue the men.
Another Coast Guard asset, an HC-130J Hercules aircraft based out of Air Station Barbers Point in Hawaii, flow over the atoll and located the fishermen, dropping a radio to establish communication, the Coast Guard said.
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The crew of USCGC Oliver Henry (WPC 1140) rescued three mariners stranded on Pikelot Atoll, Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia. (U.S. Coast Guard)
After establishing communication, the men said they were in good health, had access to food and water, and recovered the boat, which had sustained damage.
Chief Warrant Officer Sara Muir of Coast Guard Forces Micronesia, Sector Guam told Stars and Stripes the men were slightly dehydrated, though they were able to survive on water from a well on the island. She also said the men ate meat from coconuts until receiving survival packages from the Navy.
Once the Oliver Henry arrived, they were able to retrieve the three men from the Pikelot Atoll on Tuesday and return them to Polowat Atoll.
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The Coast Guard did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on the matter.
“Whether we’re out there protecting valuable resources or saving lives, we’re not just visitors – we’re members of this vibrant maritime community that connects all these islands,” Lt. Ray Cerrato, commanding officer of the cutter Oliver Henry said. “This recent operation near Pikelot Atoll hits home the kind of difference we can make. It’s about more than just performing a duty; it’s about the real human connections we forge and the lives we touch.”
Iranians mourning the country’s supreme leader condemned U.S. strikes that Washington called retaliation for Iran’s attacks on commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. At a tightly controlled state funeral in Mashhad — one of Iran’s most conservative cities, where opponents of the government were unlikely to be found in the crowd — mourners voiced defiance and called for revenge.
World
Beloved musicians among victims in deadly Bahamas plane crash; aviation authority grounds flights
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A devastating double-aviation crisis in the Bahamas, including a deadly North Andros plane crash and a separate aircraft fire on Friday, prompted the government to suspend flight operations for a local airline and launch a federal safety probe.
Shortly after 1 p.m. local time Friday, a Cessna 402 aircraft with Bahamian registration departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau bound for San Andros Airport.
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) said the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into bushes prior to landing.
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Authorities said 10 people were killed in a Bahamas plane crash on Friday. (Our News Bahamas via AP)
First responders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, Airport Authority and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the dense brush where the aircraft went down.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed in a statement Saturday that 10 people died in the crash, including prominent members of the “The Pond Band” and a local DJ, whose artistry the union said “touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Brave Davis said a sole survivor was pulled from the wreckage.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis wrote in a statement on X. “We are also praying for the survivor, whose recovery and care will remain in our thoughts.”
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The identities of those killed in the crash have not yet been released.
While the AAIA’s preliminary reports initially indicated seven people were on board, officials are still establishing the facts of the flight manifest.
Just hours before the fatal crash in North Andros, a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana was forced to turn back to Nassau after the pilot reported a concern, according to the Ministry of Energy, Utilities and Aviation (MoET).
After the aircraft landed and passengers safely deplaned, the plane caught fire on the runway.
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FILE – The Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate following two aircraft incidents Friday. (iStock)
Following the two back-to-back safety incidents, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s Air Operator Certificate, according to MoET officials.
“The suspension is a precautionary safety measure and should not be treated as an adverse compliance action against Flamingo Air,” the agency wrote in a statement.
FILE – The plane crashed in North Andros on Friday after taking off from Lynden Pindling International Airport. (Melissa Alcena/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Investigators from the AAIA and inspectors from the CAAB remain at the scene in North Andros as they work to determine what caused the Cessna 402 tragedy.
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Flamingo Air did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Published on •Updated
Moldova’s pro-European President Maia Sandu nominated businessman Vasile Tofan on Saturday as the country’s next prime minister to replace Alexandru Munteanu, who resigned earlier this month over differences with the ruling majority.
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In a video posted to social media, Sandu said Tofan’s primary responsibility, after his candidacy is approved by the country’s parliament, would be to move the country further towards its path of “integration” into the European Union.
He should also “strengthen the resilience of state institutions and society”, and “revive the economy”, added Sandu.
The Moldovan businessman now has two weeks to secure parliamentary backing, a prospect he hopes to achieve after submitting his government programme and his ministerial cabinet nominations.
Tofan had been mentioned as a possible prime minister last year even before the appointment of Munteanu.
Igor Grosu, who heads Sandu’s Action and Solidarity Party (PAS) which won the last parliamentary elections in September, announced on Friday that he had selected him as his candidate to replace the outgoing premier.
He said Tofan shared “the same objectives” as him and PAS, specifying that “EU accession in the years to come, institutional reform and economic growth”, were among the biggest points of agreement.
The nominee for prime minister, who graduated Harvard Business School and turns 44 on Sunday, has a degree in public management from the Netherlands and is a managing partner at Horizon Capital, a private equity firm with assets primarily in Ukraine and Moldova.
He has also chaired the board of directors of Moldova’s Purcari winery, considered the crown jewel of the country’s winemaking sector.
Munteanu, another businessman who like Sandu previously worked at the World Bank, had been chosen to boost the economy and bring it closer to the EU, but turbulence with PAS saw him vacate his post less than a year into holding office.
He resigned on 3 July after less than eight months, stating that he could no longer carry out his mandate “according to (his) principles and (his) convictions”.
The EU last month officially launched a first round of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Both countries became official EU candidate countries on 23 June 2022.
Additional sources • AFP
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