Five rescued in South Pacific after three months adrift; four still missing

Five people, including two children, were rescued on Sunday off Fanning Island in Kiribati after drifting across the Pacific Ocean for nearly three months in a 20-foot skiff. The group had set out in late July from Murilo Island in the Federated States of Micronesia, intending to make a one-hour crossing to the neighboring island of Ruo. A storm blew the nine-person boat off course, and it drifted approximately 3,350 miles eastward before washing ashore on Fanning Island. Four of the nine people aboard remain missing.

Villagers on Fanning Island discovered the survivors and provided initial assistance. The rescued individuals are being cared for by a pastor on the island and have received medical attention. Nursing officer Paukin Tororo reported that all five survivors were severely dehydrated and malnourished upon rescue and were placed on intravenous drips. By Monday, they were showing signs of recovery, with Tororo noting they were able to smile and express hunger.

The U.S. Coast Guard in Guam confirmed that the boat was reported missing on July 30 after failing to return to Ruo Island. An initial 10-day search covering 33,000 square miles found no trace of the vessel or its occupants. The Coast Guard stated it was continuing to gather information about the four missing individuals. Alexander Narruhn, governor of Micronesia's Chuuk state, announced he had begun talks with the Kiribati government to arrange for the survivors' return home. The rescued individuals have requested privacy and have not yet spoken publicly about their ordeal.