Three Micronesian men were located on a deserted Pacific island after their “SOS” message constructed along the beach alerted rescuers to their position.

The three sailors landed on uninhabited Pikelot Island, located north of Papua New Guinea, after their 7-meter boat ran out of fuel more than 100 miles off course. The rescue was a joint mission between U.S. and Australian forces who worked together to locate and bring the men home safely. A U.S. Air Force KC-135 tanker initially spotted the distress signal after hours of searching.