Five Survivors Rescued After Drifting for Three Months in Pacific

Five people, including two children, have been rescued after surviving nearly three months adrift in the Pacific Ocean on a disabled boat. The survivors were found alive near Fanning Island in Kiribati, having drifted approximately 5,400 kilometers from where they originally vanished in late July.

The ordeal began on July 30, when a group of nine people set out on what was intended to be a routine one-hour voyage between the islands of Murilo and Ruo in the Federated States of Micronesia. However, the boat encountered a severe storm, lost contact, and disappeared into the vast expanse of the ocean, as reported by Australian network ABC.

The United States Coast Guard subsequently launched an extensive search and rescue operation, deploying Navy and Air Force aircraft to comb vast maritime areas. After ten days yielded no results, the search operation was called off on August 9.

Nearly three months passed without a trace until local residents spotted the drifting vessel near Fanning Island. To their astonishment, five members of the original party were discovered alive. Local villagers assisted the survivors ashore, where a clergyman provided temporary shelter and initial aid.

Local parliamentarian Kautitaka Rakurua told ABC that the five individuals have already undergone medical evaluations on the island and are recommended for an evacuation flight to Kiritimati Island for further care. Meanwhile, Chuuk State Governor Alexander Narruhn expressed gratitude for the rescue while noting that four other passengers remain missing, adding that authorities are working to repatriate the survivors.