Five people, including two children, have been rescued after spending nearly three months adrift in a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.
Villagers on Fanning Island in the island nation of Kiribati spotted the boat Sunday and brought the survivors ashore. The group had set out on July 30 from the Micronesian islands of Murilo and Ruo for what was meant to be a one-hour trip. A storm blew them off course. They drifted an estimated 3,400 miles east before reaching Fanning Island, also known as Tabuaeran.
Nine people were originally on the boat. Four remain missing. The U.S. Coast Guard, with help from the Navy and Air Force, searched for 10 days after the boat was reported missing and covered a large area of ocean before suspending the operation on Aug. 9 without finding the vessel or those aboard, according to RNZ, citing Australian Broadcasting Corp. reporting.
The five survivors were severely dehydrated and malnourished when they were found. Local medical staff put them on intravenous fluids, and they showed signs of recovery. They were cared for by the pastor of a local church. Officials said they were expected to be moved to nearby Kiritimati Island for additional treatment. Fanning Island is a remote coral atoll in Kiribati’s Line Islands with limited medical facilities and transport options.
Chuuk state Governor Alexander Narruhn welcomed the news that five of the nine people had been found and said families continue to hope for the others. The survivors have not spoken publicly about their ordeal.
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