Five relatives survive nearly 100 days in the Pacific Ocean — NDTV

Five members of one family, including two teenage boys, survived after drifting in the Pacific Ocean for nearly 100 days and reached Fanning Island in Kiribati on November 1. As NDTV World reports, a small boat carrying nine relatives was blown off course by a storm; four people, including a child, died during the journey.

The boat was blown off course by a storm

On July 30, the family set out in a 20-foot boat on a journey between islands in Micronesia that was supposed to take about an hour. The nine people were heading to get supplies, but during a storm the boat went off course and ran out of fuel.

Among the passengers were 31-year-old Tedwinson Paul and his eight younger relatives. After the family disappeared, Chuuk State official Arthur Irons II notified the federal government, after which the U.S. Coast Guard began a search. However, the operation was called off after several days.

According to the outlet, the boat drifted more than 3,000 miles, or about 4,828 kilometers, across the Pacific Ocean. During that time, the passengers tried to attract the attention of ships and aircraft by waving at them, but received no help.

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They survived on turtles and rainwater

To survive, the people ate turtles and birds and drank rainwater. After four relatives died, the survivors had to throw their bodies into the sea.

After spotting an island in the distance, the survivors approached the coast of Fanning the next day, where the boat crashed against the coral shore. Three men and two teenage boys, without clothes, reached the nearest village by following the sound of church bells.

Local residents initially thought the victims were drunk because of the way they walked. They were later given assistance, and a local pastor sheltered them. According to reports, all five suffered from malnutrition and severe dehydration. As of November 2, they began showing signs of improvement: they could move their heads, smile, and indicate that they wanted to eat.