【大紀元2020年08月05日訊】（大紀元記者張雨霏編譯報導）近日，三名密克羅尼西亞船員發生意外，漂留在一個偏遠的太平洋小島上，他們在沙灘畫出巨大的SOS求救信息，最終被救援人員發現，失蹤三天後成功獲救，所幸三人均無大礙。
美國與澳大利亞當局7月4日表示，這三名船員於7月30日從密克羅尼西亞聯邦（Micronesia）的普拉瓦特（Pulawat）環礁出發，搭乘約7米的小船，打算前往43公里外的普拉普（Pulap）環礁，但他們偏離航道，最後船的燃料耗盡，他們只能將船停在無人居住的派克洛特島 （Pikelot Island）上 。
三人在沙灘上留下巨型字體SOS，決定以此戲劇化的方式對外求援。當時他們距離目的地普拉普環礁有190公里之遠。
當得知他們沒有順利到達目的地後，美國關島的海岸警衛隊聯合救援分隊開始搜索行動，美國空軍一架KC-135空中加油機搜尋三小時後，率先發現他們。
飛行員帕爾梅拉（Jason Palmeira-Yen）上校在臉書上說：「當時我們快要結束搜尋。 我們轉身避開陣雨，往下看時發現了一個島嶼，便決定查看，結果發現海灘上的SOS字樣，旁邊有一艘船。之後我們聯絡澳洲海軍，因為他們在附近有兩架直升機，可以降落在島上並提供幫助。」
當時澳洲兩棲攻擊艦「堪培拉號」（Canberra）正在夏威夷進行軍事演習，收到命令改往該地區加入救援行動。「堪培拉號」派出一架直升機降落沙灘上，為三人提供食物和水，經過檢查證實三人當時健康狀況良好。
之後，一艘密克羅尼西亞的巡邏船負責前往該島接載他們，結束這場驚險的意外。
「堪培拉號」艦長特里·莫里森（Terry Morrison ）上尉說：「當我們為世界上任何地方的海上生命安全做出貢獻，履行我們的責任時，我都會為艦上所有船員的奉獻和專業精神感到無比自豪。」
位於西太平洋的密克羅尼西亞聯邦，由600多個小島組成，散布在廣闊的海洋中。這次的滯留地派克洛特島（Pikelot Island），不到半公里長，是一個小型珊瑚礁島，森林茂密，但無人居住。
Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific island
Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific islandGuardsmen from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) and the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania National Guard deployed here, were the first to locate three missing mariners during a search and rescue mission in the Federated States of Micronesia southwest of Guam, Aug. 2, 2020 (ChST).On July 29, three mariners aboard a 23-foot white and blue skiff departed Puluwat Atoll intending to travel approximately 21 nautical miles to Pulap, Chuuk. However, they never made it to their destination and were reported missing. “Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam received notification of an overdue skiff last seen in the vicinity of Chuuk and requested our assistance,” said U.S. Air Force Maj. Shaun McRoberts, 506th Air Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron assistant director of operations. “Once notified, we began immediately working a plan to launch crews to locate the missing vessel.”Hawaii Air National Guardsmen Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, Maj. Byron Kamikawa, Tech. Sgt. Shane Williams along with Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen Tech. Sgt. Rodney Joseph and Senior Airman Jeremy Williams took off from Andersen AFB in their KC-135 Stratotanker destined to locate the missing vessel.After almost three hours into their mission and flying at about 1,500 feet, the crew located the mariners on the tiny island of Pikelot, Yap.“We were toward the end of our search pattern,” said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, the KC-135 pilot. “We turned to avoid some rain showers and that’s when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and that’s when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island.”The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra (L02) was also in the region and agreed to divert and provide search sorties with embarked helicopters while the FSS Independence departed from Yap to assist.A helicopter crew from HMAS Canberra delivered supplies to the stranded mariners while a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii airdropped a radio and message block informing them the FSS Independence was en-route to rescue and return them home."Partnerships" said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Christopher Chase, Coast Guard Sector Guam, commander. "This is what made this search and rescue case successful. Through coordination with multiple response organizations, we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families.”At 12 a.m., August 3 (HST), the Independence arrived on scene, launched a small boat crew and rescued the mariners.By Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger, 36th Wing Public AffairsUnited States Air Force, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Air Mobility Command, Joint Region Marianas
Posted by Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on Monday, August 3, 2020
責任編輯：高靜 ＃
