Five Rescued from South Pacific After-Month 3,000-Mile Drift; Four Missing
Five survivors including two children were rescued in Kiribati after drifting 3,355 miles in a skiff. Four others remain missing at sea.
POLICY WIRE — Kiribati — — Five individuals, including two children, were rescued this week in the Pacific nation of Kiribati after spending three months lost on the open ocean in a small 20-foot boat. While these five were found alive, four other passengers are still unaccounted for.
The group was discovered by local villagers on Sunday near Fanning Island. Reports from the Australian Broadcasting Corp indicate the skiff had drifted approximately 3,355 miles east from the Federated States of Micronesia before being spotted.
The U.S. Coast Guard office in Guam confirmed Tuesday that the vessel, which carried nine people, was reported missing after failing to arrive at Ruo Island on July 30. The group was reportedly attempting a routine one-hour voyage between the islands of Murilo and Ruo when the boat vanished.
A massive search operation spanning 33,000 square miles was conducted over ten days, but the efforts yielded no evidence of the boat or the individuals on board.
In a statement to The Associated Press, the U.S. Coast Guard described the recovery of the five survivors as incredible and wonderful news, noting that they are currently receiving medical attention. The agency also expressed deep condolences to the families and friends of the four who did not survive the journey.
Regarding the fate of the four missing individuals, the U.S. Coast Guard stated they are still working to verify new information and will provide updates as they become available.
Kaotitaake Rakoroa, a lawmaker in Kiribati, noted that the survivors are currently under the care of a pastor on the island. Nursing officer Paukin Tororo informed the ABC that all five survivors suffered from extreme dehydration and malnutrition, but they are responding to intravenous treatments and showing recovery signs.
Tororo described the survivors’ improving condition, stating they were able to smile and showed an interest in eating. Despite their harrowing ordeal, the five individuals have requested privacy and have not spoken publicly about their experience.
Alexander Narruhn, the governor of Micronesia’s Chuuk state, said he began negotiations with the Kiribati government to bring the survivors home. He expressed gratitude for their safety while continuing to pray for their four missing companions.
This incident follows a series of similar maritime marathons in the region. In 2023, 51-year-old Tim Shaddock survived two months adrift with his dog, Bella, after a storm disabled his boat; he survived drinking rainwater and eating raw fish. In 2017, sailors Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiaba were rescued with two dogs by a Taiwanese fishing vessel 900 miles southeast of Japan after their engine failed. More recently, in 2024, three fishermen were saved on a remote Micronesian island after being stranded for a week and using palm leaves to spell out HELP on the beach.
Reporting by Policy-Wire (PW)
