Five survivors reach Kiribati after 100 days adrift in Pacific Ocean
A Micronesian family's short boat trip turned into a 3,000-mile ordeal that left four people dead.
Five members of a Micronesian family reached Fanning Island in Kiribati on November 1 after being adrift for nearly 100 days. According to reports by The Times of India, the group had been travelling in a 20-foot skiff since July 30 when a storm blew them off course.
The family, including 31-year-old Tedwinson Paul and eight younger relatives, was attempting a one-hour trip to collect supplies. The boat eventually ran out of fuel, leaving the nine passengers to face hunger and dehydration.
Four passengers, including a child, died during the journey. The five survivors, identified as three men and two teenage boys, reportedly caught turtles and birds for food and used rainwater to drink.
The survivors reached the island after the boat travelled more than 3,000 miles and ran aground on the shoreline. They were found by villagers in a state of severe dehydration and malnourishment.
Nursing officer Paukin Tororo told the ABC that the survivors were showing signs of recovery and responding to treatment. Chuuk Governor Alexander Narruhn confirmed that discussions had begun with the Kiribati government to arrange their return home.
The US Coast Guard expressed relief that the five individuals were receiving care and extended condolences for those who were missing.