The key facts

  • Five of the nine passengers of a boat that went missing in late July were found alive on November 1 on Fanning Island (Kiribati)
  • Over three months, the boat was carried roughly 5,500 km
  • The fate of four other people remains unknown

Three-month drift ends in rescue

Five people who drifted in the open ocean for nearly three months have been found alive. This was reported by the Daily Mail. In late July, nine people set out by boat from Murilo Island in Micronesia for the neighboring island of Ro — the trip was supposed to take about an hour, but the boat was caught in a storm and swept out into the open ocean. The search continued for several weeks, until August 9, but yielded no results.

How they were found and what is happening now

On November 1, residents of Fanning Island, part of Kiribati, spotted the boat: the current had carried it roughly 5,500 kilometers over that time. The rescued, including two children, were given shelter by a local church pastor, after which they received medical care. A Kiribati lawmaker recommended that they be transferred as soon as possible to Kiritimati, the nearest major settlement, for treatment.

The fate of the others remains unknown

The fate of four other passengers of the boat has not yet been determined. Micronesian politician Alexander Narruhn thanked everyone who took part in the rescue operation, said he continues to pray for the missing, and asked the President of Micronesia to open negotiations with the government of Kiribati on returning the rescued to their homeland. According to the Daily Mail, the rescued have not yet told how they managed to survive for so long and have asked that their privacy be respected.