Two mariners stranded for days on an uninhabited island were rescued after writing "SOS" in the sand. (Photo: Courtesy U.S. Coast Guard) 
 
 HAGATNA, Guam — Two mariners stranded for days on an uninhabited Pacific island were rescued after writing "SOS" in the sand. 
 
 A Navy P-8A Poseidon aircraft crew responding to a report of flashing lights spotted the sailors Wednesday on a beach near the makeshift sign on an uninhabited island in Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia, according to a statement from the U.S. Coast Guard. 
 
 The survivors were picked up on Friday and transferred by the patrol boat Palikir to Nomwin Atoll, the release stated. 
 
 The Coast Guard received notification Aug. 19 of an overdue 18-foot vessel with two people aboard that was bound for Tamatam Island. The two sailors had left Weno Island on Aug. 17 with limited supplies and no emergency equipment on board, the news release stated. 
 
 During the seven-day search, Coast Guard searched a total of 16,571 square miles, the release stated. 
 
 Read or Share this story: http://usat.ly/2bwzc6e ||||| Two people stranded on an uninhabited Pacific island were rescued on Friday after writing "SOS" in the sand, according to the U.S. Coast Guard. 
 
 After a seven-day search for the missing boaters by an international maritime team, a U.S. Navy aircraft crew spotted them on a beach near an "SOS" sign they had carved into the sand, the U.S. Coast Guard announced today. 
 
 The castaway pair had departed from Weno Island on Aug. 17 with "limited supplies and no emergency equipment on board" en route to Tamatam Island, Micronesia, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a statement. The boaters hoped to arrive the next day, but never made it. 
 
 On Aug. 19, the U.S. Coast Guard's command center in Guam received a notification of the missing 18-foot boat. 
 
 The international team searched a total of 16,571 square miles. 
 
 The survivors, who have not been identified, were picked up by a patrol boat and transferred to Nomwin atoll.
– 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.