Five rescued after three months adrift near Kiribati
Five people, including two children, were rescued in Kiribati after drifting for about three months in a small boat. Four others from the original group remain missing. Survivors were found near Fanning Island.
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The rescue
NBC News, CBS News and Just The News reported that villagers rescued three adults and two children off Fanning Island in Kiribati after months at sea in a roughly 20-foot skiff. Kgw and ABC News carried the same core facts. Coverage said the boat had left Murilo Island for Ruo Island on July 30 with nine people aboard; four are still missing. Beaumont Enterprise also reported the rescue.
The earlier search
Reports said a multi-day search by U.S. Coast Guard, Navy and Air Force assets covered tens of thousands of square kilometers before it was suspended in August. Survivors are receiving local care, outlets reported.
Why this matters
The case closes one search mystery and leaves another open for the four still missing, underscoring how quickly small-boat voyages in the Pacific can turn into long ordeals.