Sailors Rescued From Deserted Island Thanks to Sandy SOS

The couple had been missing more than a week
By Michael Harthorne,  Newser Staff
Posted Aug 27, 2016 2:16 PM CDT
Sailors Rescued From Deserted Island Thanks to Sandy SOS
A pair of stranded mariners signal for help as a US Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft flies overhead in Micronesia.   (U.S. Navy via AP)

A couple was rescued from a deserted island in the Pacific Ocean on Friday after their cry for help was spotted by a US Navy helicopter, the BBC reports. The couple were identified as Linus and Sabina Jack, both in their 50s. According to USA Today, they set sail in an 18-foot vessel Aug. 17 in Micronesia with few supplies and no emergency equipment. They were supposed to arrive at their destination Aug. 18 but didn't show, ABC News reports.

The US Coast Guard was informed the Jacks were missing Aug. 19, launching an international search involving 12 boats, two aircraft, and more than 16,500 square miles. On Wednesday, a Navy helicopter spotted the letters "SOS" dug into the sand on Micronesia's East Fayu Island. A boat arrived to pick the Jacks up Friday—more than a week after they disappeared. (More search and rescue stories.)

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