The Navys ultra-versatile P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft has risen to all-star status both within the halls of the Pentagon and on the export market. It has been at the center of the search for MH370 and at the tip of the growing dispute over Chinas man-made islands in the South China Sea. Now it has has made headlines once again, locating marooned men on a deserted island in the Pacific. For nearly three days, the three men had been stranded on the Pacific island of Fanadik after their 19-foot skiff capsized. They had originally set out from Pulap island on April 4 and after they were thrown from their skiff, they swam through night before finding temporarily refuge on Fanadik island. Once there, they constructed a large HELP sign out of palm leaves on the deserted islands small beach area, a move that likely saved their lives. http://foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com/navy-p-8-poseidon-locates-castaways-on-a-deserted-islan-1770066529 Good save! 500 miles west of Guam is a bad place for your boat to capsize.
Yup, im glad to see the rescued were able to properly use their survival skills, and glad to see the P-8 doing such a great job. A few months back I posted a video of a P-8 crew being interviewed in the south china sea, and they were flying off the spratleys-with cameras that were so powerful they could see exactly what the chinese were doing. Its impressive.
This is why you never leave home without a fully charged satellite phone (gps tracking included) with emergency numbers programmed in.
