Five rescued after drifting in Kiribati for three months
Five individuals, including two children, were rescued this week in the South Pacific island nation of Kiribati after three months drifting at sea in a 20-foot skiff, reports BritPanorama.
Villagers found the group on Sunday off Fanning Island, having drifted an estimated 5,400 kilometers (3,355 miles) from the Federated States of Micronesia, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The U.S. Coast Guard in Guam confirmed on Tuesday that the skiff, which had nine people aboard, was reported missing when it failed to return to Ruo Island on July 30. Following a 10-day search covering 85,700 square kilometers (33,000 square miles), no trace of the boat or its passengers was found.
“Incredible and wonderful news these five folks were found and are receiving care,” the U.S. Coast Guard stated in an email to The Associated Press. “Our profound condolences to family and friends of those who did not arrive with them,” it added.
The Coast Guard has been attempting to gather and confirm information regarding the four individuals still unaccounted for. Lawmaker Kaotitaake Rakoroa reported that the survivors are currently being cared for by a pastor on the island.
Nursing officer Paukin Tororo revealed on Monday that all five were severely dehydrated and malnourished. They have since been placed on intravenous drips and are displaying signs of recovery. “They can give a smile face, they show the sign they want to eat,” she noted.
The survivors have requested privacy and have not yet spoken publicly about their experiences. Meanwhile, the governor of Micronesia’s Chuuk state, Alexander Narruhn, announced he is in discussions with the Kiribati government about repatriating the survivors.
“There were nine people aboard the boat that went missing. Thanks be to God for his love and mercy that five of the nine have been found,” Narruhn expressed. He continued, “We continue to pray for their four companions,” but did not respond to further inquiries from the AP.
The nine had set out on a one-hour crossing between the islands of Murilo and Ruo when they were caught in a storm, as reported by the ABC.
