Sometimes you come across a headline that makes you blink twice. "Three rescued from deserted island in Bahamas after surviving on coconuts for 33 days" is a bit long, but caught our attention nonetheless.
This was far from a three-hour tour with Gilligan and the skipper. Here's more from NBC News:
"A helicopter crew initially spotted the trio waving a large makeshift flag on Monday during a routine air patrol around Anguilla Cay, a chain of islands between the Florida Keys and Cuba, the Coast Guard said."
Can you imagine being stranded on an island for more than a month, eating nothing but coconuts?
The three were lucky to even make it to the island in the first place, apparently. They were Cuban nationals, and their boat capsized in rough waters, leaving them to swim to the island. More good news came when they were taken to a hospital in Florida, where no serious injuries were reported.
Even the rescue crew recognized this as an extraordinary circumstance. U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Murray said their survival was nothing short of miraculous.
"I cannot recall a time that we saved people who were stranded for over a month on an island," he said. "That is a new one for me."
At least while they were on the island they had each other. Nobody had to resort to making friends with a volleyball or doing their own dentistry. Little blessings.