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Lost at Sea for 3 Months, 5 Found Alive!
5 Nov
Summary
- Five people, including two children, were found alive after three months adrift.
- The survivors were rescued by villagers in Kiribati, thousands of kilometers away.
- An extensive 10-day search by authorities found no trace of the missing boat.
A routine one-hour boat journey between two islands in the Federated States of Micronesia turned into a harrowing three-month ordeal for nine individuals. After being swept off course by a storm on July 30, five survivors, including two children, were discovered alive by villagers on a remote island in Kiribati. This rescue occurred on November 1, approximately 5,400 kilometers from their starting point.
Initial efforts to locate the missing skiff, which failed to return to Ruo Island on July 31, were extensive. The US Coast Guard coordinated a 10-day search operation covering about 25,000 square nautical miles, involving multiple national and commercial assets. Despite these efforts, no trace of the boat or its passengers was found, leading to the suspension of the active search on August 9.
The breakthrough came on November 1 when residents of Fanning Island spotted the drifting boat. The five survivors were taken in by the local Uniting Church pastor and received medical attention. They were reportedly in serious condition, suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition, but began to recover after receiving intravenous fluids.
While the discovery brought relief, the fate of the four other passengers who were aboard the vessel remains unknown. Authorities are continuing to pray for their safe return and are in discussions with the Kiribati government regarding the survivors' repatriation to Micronesia.
