Two men wave life jackets and look on as a U.S. Navy P-8A maritime surveillance aircraft discovers them on the uninhabited island of Fanadik. Three days earlier, the three’s 19-foot skiff capsized after setting out to sea from Pulap, Federated States of Micronesia. The P-8A, attached to Patrol Squadron (VP) 5, and operating from Misawa, Japan, responded to a call for assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard and located the men as they waved life jackets and stood next to a large “help” sign made of palm leaves. The men reported their vessel was capsized by a large wave a few hours after their departure on April 4, and spent the night swimming until they arrived at Fandadik Island, approximately four nautical miles from Pulap. A small boat from Pulap recovered the men from the island with no reported injuries. VP-5 is in the midst of a routine deployment to the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations.
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