A 64-year-old man spent three days stranded on an island in the Bahamas until being rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, which had spotted flares being fired near a disabled sailboat.
Crew members from a Coast Guard Air Station Miami aircraft dropped food, water and a radio to communicate with the man, whom the agency did not identify.
Aerial photos released Tuesday by the Coast Guard show the letters "SOS" had been etched into the sand on the island's beach.
The cutter Paul Clark rescued the man Friday on Cay Sal, the Coast Guard said in a news release.
The man was in good health, the release said.
"We're proud to have saved this man's life," said Petty Officer 3rd Class Dev Craig. "This case serves as a perfect example of why you must have the proper safety equipment on your vessel. Without seeing the flare, the case may not have had a successful outcome."
___
This story has been corrected to delete an erroneous reference to an aircrew rescuing the man; he was rescued by a Coast Guard cutter.
