Two stranded sailors were rescued from a remote island in the Pacific on Wednesday last week after their 37ft yacht ran aground on a coral reef.

The pair had been en route to Tahiti from Lanai in Hawaii when they grounded on the small patch of land near Malden Island, severely damaging their vessel Hina Nui.

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One of the sailors was able to contact his wife via satellite phone, telling her their yacht was irreparable, but that they were safe and well.

His wife contacted watchstanders at the Coast Guard Joint Rescue Coordination Centre Honolulu shortly after.

The 936ft cruise ship Celebrity Solstice was then identified by rescue crews as being 184 miles from the stranded sailors and the vessel agreed to divert to help them.

Island where sailors grounded

Once at the scene, the ship’s crew found a safe location on the western side of the island and communicated with the sailors via VHF radio.

The men hiked from the eastern tip of the island where the sailboat grounded and met the rescue crew from the cruise ship.

At 10am on Thursday, almost 12 hours after first grounding, the pair were successfully transported to Celebrity Solstice.

JRCC search and rescue coordinator Lt. j.g. Heidi Will said: “The fact that these men were well prepared with an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon and a satellite pone contributed to their successful rescue.

“Mariners are advised to carry all appropriate safety equipment as maritime emergencies can occur quickly and without warning to even the most experience individuals.”