03.11.2026 17:14
The boat carrying a group of nine people who were caught in a storm during a one-hour sea voyage in Micronesia was found off the coast of Kiribati, about 5,400 kilometers away, after drifting for more than three months. It was reported that five people, two of them children, who were rescued by villagers on Fanning Island were severely dehydrated and malnourished. There is no news of the other four people on the boat.
Five people who drifted at sea for more than 3 months in a 6-meter boat were rescued near Kiribati, an island country in the South Pacific. The fate of the 4 people who were on the boat is not yet known.
THEY WERE CAUGHT IN A STORM ON A 1-HOUR JOURNEY
According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), a group of 9 people who set out on a sea journey that normally takes 1 hour between the Murilo and Ruo islands of the Federated States of Micronesia was caught in a storm in late July. The 6-meter boat, which drifted in the ocean for more than 3 months, was spotted off Fanning Island, part of Kiribati.
VILLAGERS RESCUED THEM
The five people on the boat, two of them children, were rescued on Sunday by villagers on the island. The boat is estimated to have drifted about 5,400 kilometers east from Micronesia. The rescue news was announced by police on Kiritimati Island.
“THEY CAN SMILE”
Kaotitaake Rakoroa, a member of the Kiribati National Assembly, said in a statement to ABC that the survivors had been placed under treatment by medical personnel on the island. Rakoroa also noted that a priest on the island was attending to the survivors.
Nurse Paukin Tororo said all five people were severely dehydrated and malnourished. Stating that those given intravenous fluids had begun to show signs of recovery, Tororo said, “They can smile and indicate that they want to eat.” It was reported that the survivors have not yet spoken publicly and have asked that their privacy be respected.
MISSING SINCE JULY 30
The US Coast Guard, based in Guam, a US territory in the western Pacific, confirmed that the boat was reported missing on July 30 after it failed to reach Ruo Island. The Coast Guard announced that no trace of the boat or those aboard was found in search efforts lasting 10 days and covering an area of about 85,700 square kilometers, and that the searches were stopped on August 9.
In a written statement to the Associated Press (AP), the Coast Guard said that finding the five people was “incredibly wonderful news.” The Coast Guard also extended its condolences to the families of those not reached. It was reported that information about the four missing people was still being gathered and verified.
“WE ARE PRAYING FOR THEIR OTHER FOUR FRIENDS”
Alexander Narruhn, Governor of Chuuk State in Micronesia, said, “There were nine people on the missing boat. We continue to pray for their other four friends.” Narruhn also announced that he had begun talks with the Kiribati government so that the survivors could return to their country.