Nine people set out on a one-hour trip in a 20-foot boat in Micronesia, and islanders just spotted the vessel 3 months later

Five people, including two children, were rescued near the coast of Fanning Island in Kiribati after drifting in the Pacific Ocean for three months. The survivors were part of a larger group of nine people who departed on July 30 for a trip that was supposed to last only one hour. 

As reported by FOX News, the passengers were traveling between the Micronesian islands of Murilo and Ruo in a 20-foot skiff when a sudden storm pushed them off course. The U.S. Coast Guard initially launched a massive search operation covering over 25,000 nautical miles. They performed 31 different search patterns, but after failing to locate the boat, the agency suspended its active search on August 10. 

The ordeal finally came to an end when residents of Fanning Island spotted the drifting boat off their coast. These locals brought the five survivors ashore to receive help. A local church pastor took the group in, providing them with immediate shelter and care. Kiribati lawmaker Kaotitaake Rakoroa shared that the survivors were suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition when they first arrived on land.

The remaining four passengers are yet to be found

Medical staff have been monitoring the group, and they are showing signs of improvement. Nursing officer Paukin Tororo noted that the survivors have started to move their heads, smile, and show a clear appetite for food. 

While five people survived, the fate of the other four passengers remains unknown. Authorities have not yet shared how the group managed to survive for three months or what happened to the four individuals who are still missing. 

The U.S. Coast Guard stated they are continuing to gather and confirm information regarding the missing group members. In an email, the Coast Guard shared, “Incredible and wonderful news. These five folks were found and are receiving care,” while adding, “We continue to pray for their four companions.” They also expressed, “Our profound condolences to family and friends of those who did not arrive with them.”

Alexander Narruhn, the governor of Micronesia’s Chuuk state, is now working with the Kiribati government to arrange for the survivors to return home. In a statement, Narruhn said, “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.” He also echoed the sentiment of the Coast Guard by saying, “We continue to pray for their four companions.”

The survivors have requested privacy as they recover and have not yet spoken publicly about their experience. Family members in the Federated States of Micronesia have been in contact with some of the survivors, but for now, the details of those three months remain a mystery.