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“HELP” sign on tiny Pacific island leads to Coast Guard and Navy rescue of 3 mariners stranded for over a week
Three mariners who were stranded on a tiny island in the Pacific were rescued after they spelled out “HELP” with palm leaves on the beach, the Coast Guard said Tuesday, marking the second time in four years that castaways were found on the same island. The sailors were found on Pikelot Atoll after being stuck in the Micronesian archipelago for over a week.
The men — all experienced sailors in their 40s — had embarked on a voyage from Polowat Atoll on Easter Sunday in their 20-foot open skiff, which was equipped with an outboard motor, officials said. But six days later on April 6, the Coast Guard in Guam received a distress call from a relative who reported her three uncles had not returned as expected to their home of Pikelot Atoll, which is about 100 nautical miles northwest of Polowat Atoll.
A joint search and rescue operation by the U.S. Coast Guard and Navy was immediately launched. Despite poor weather conditions and limited assets in the area, a U.S. Navy P-8 Poseidon aircraft crew based in Japan was deployed and the USCGC Oliver Henry cutter was diverted to the search area, which spanned more than 78,000 square nautical miles.
That’s when the stranded sailors’ “act of ingenuity” paid off.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
“In a remarkable testament to their will to be found, the mariners spelled out ‘HELP’ on the beach using palm leaves, a crucial factor in their discovery,” said Lt. Chelsea Garcia, the search and rescue mission coordinator on the day they were located. “This act of ingenuity was pivotal in guiding rescue efforts directly to their location.”
The Poseidon aircraft located the message and the three mariners on the tiny island on Sunday, eight days after they went missing. The aircraft crew dropped survival packages to the men until further assistance could arrive, and the Coast Guard cutter was deployed to conduct the rescue operation.
The next day, a Coast Guard aircraft based in Hawaii overflew the area and dropped a radio to establish communication with the men, who confirmed they were in good health, and had access to food and water. They reported their boat had been damaged and its engine was broken.
USCGC Oliver Henry finally reached the mariners on Pikelot Atoll on Tuesday morning and the ship successfully transported them home to Polowat Atoll.
U.S. Coast Guard photo
“Every life saved, and every mariner returned home is a testament to the enduring partnership and mutual respect that characterizes our relationship, making a profound impact on the lives of individuals and the resilience of communities across the (Federated States of Micronesia),” said Lt. Cmdr. Christine Igisomar, the search and rescue mission coordinator on the day they were rescued.
Remarkably, this wasn’t the first time stranded sailors were rescued from the island after spelling out a distress signal on the beach. In 2020, three men were rescued from Pikelot Atoll after writing a giant “SOS” sign in the sand. They were spotted by Australian and U.S. aircraft and safely returned home.
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Hearing the voice of Sir Laurence Olivier catch you up on work memos may not offer the same thrill as watching the acclaimed English actor on stage or screen, but it could make your morning commute more interesting.
That’s the vision of artificial intelligence startup ElevenLabs, which this week announced that fans of Hollywood icons such as Judy Garland and James Dean can now listen to the voices of the deceased film stars narrate books, articles and other digital text.
The company said it had reached agreements with the estates of Olivier, Garland, Dean and Burt Reynolds to add their voices to a library of AI-generated voices on ElevenLab’s new Reader App. The product lets users listen to text on your phone, with the actors’ voices available for individual streaming.
ElevenLabs did not provide details about any financial compensation it is offering to the actors’ estates.
“We deeply respect their legacy and are honored to have their voices as part of our platform,” Dustin Blank, head of partnerships at ElevenLabs said in a blog post. “Adding them to our growing list of narrators marks a major step forward in our mission of making content accessible in any language and voice.”
Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland’s daughter and the representative of her estate, said in the post that her family is excited to “see our mother’s voice available to the countless millions of people who love her.”
Using AI to recreate a version of someone’s voice has drawn negative attention after being used in nefarious ways, including the creation earlier this year of a phony robocall from President Joe Biden urging people not to vote in New Hampshire’s presidential primary.
In another incident, actress Scarlett Johansson is May said she was “shocked, angered and in disbelief” after discovering that a voice option on OpenAI’s ChatGPT app sounded like her. Johansson had declined OpenAI founder Sam Altman’s offer to voice ChatGPT’s text-to-speech product. Altman said the voice is not Johansson’s.
AI was a key issue in the SAG-AFTRA strike last year. A new actor contract includes limits on artificial intelligence. Producers for TV and film must get consent from actors to use a digital replica, and performers are also entitled to compensation for using AI to create their virtual likeness.
CBS News
Candidates in pivotal French legislative elections drop out in tactical move ahead of final vote
Paris – As France prepares for a decisive second-round vote Sunday, political parties from all persuasions are scrambling to secure seats in the National Assembly. However, more than 200 candidates – mostly from left and centrist parties – have dropped out in a tactical move to block the far right.
Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally (RN) party and its allies led the first round vote with 33.4%. However, after the significant number of withdrawals to avoid splitting the vote against the far right, it’s unlikely the RN can secure an absolute majority in this second round and form a government.
The RN is anti-immigration and has been accused of being antisemitic and anti-Muslim. It wants to roll back the power of the European Union in France and has threatened to pull the country out of the U.S.-led NATO military alliance.
There are 577 seats in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. Just 76 deputies were elected with an outright majority in the first round so the majority of seats are still up for grabs. A total of 289 seats is needed for that crucial absolute majority.
Final opinion polls on Friday predicted the RN and its allies would again lead the field – but would now only secure between 175 and 205 seats, well below the majority needed to form a government on their own, and below predictions in the immediate aftermath of the first round. However, that is more than double the number of seats held before these elections.
EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP via Getty Images
The leftist group, Nouveau Front populaire, or New Popular Front, is predicted to take between 145 and 175 seats. That grouping of traditional left, hard left and green parties was hastily formed after President Emmanuel Macron called snap elections in June.
Macron hoped to rally voters against the far right after the RN did well in early June elections for the European parliament, which governs the European Union.
However, political analyst Douglas Webber told CBS News: “President Macron made a colossal error in judgment”.
His Ensemble – Together – centrist coalition for these parliamentary elections is tipped to win just 145-175 seats.
Polls predict voter turnout for this second round will be as high as 65%. That’s similar to the numbers for the first round on June 30. Turnout was unusually high as many voters said they either wanted to block the far-right, or just get rid of Macron’s government.
“Right now, we have big problems with the right wing,” said one young woman after the first round vote. “We want more democracy, you know, we don’t want people to feel afraid or scared about living in France.”
These elections have been marred by attacks on candidates. The interior ministry said 51 candidates or party activists – from different parties – were attacked during the short campaign. For Sunday’s vote, 30,000 police have been drafted in case of violence during polling or after the results are announced.
Initial predictions will be available shortly after the polls close in France on Sunday night. However, in the absence of an outright majority for one party or grouping, it may be days – or even weeks – before a government emerges.
RN president Jordan Bardella – who wants to be prime minister – has suggested that he would refuse to form a government if his party and allies do not win an outright majority. He argued that without a majority, his government could achieve little and, therefore, would not be worth it. Whether that is simply posturing to encourage all far-right supporters to vote in large numbers remains to be seen.
There is talk of a rainbow coalition of traditional left and right parties and centrists. But Macron made it clear on Wednesday at a meeting with his Council of Ministers, that blocking the far right did not mean that he would name a government led by the hard left LFI – La France Insoumise, or France Unbowed – led by Jean-Luc Melenchon. It remains to be seen if there would be enough deputies without the two extremes to form a government.
There is a third option. President Macron could decide to postpone forming a new government until after the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, which open on July 26. He could ask the current Prime Minister Gabriel Attal to continue in a caretaker role and then deal with the fallout of the elections once the Games are over.
