THREE fishermen from Teraina Island in Kiribati are safe after spending four days adrift in the open ocean when their boat’s engine stopped working.
The fishermen had left for what was expected to be a short fishing trip. However, their outboard motor broke down after water contaminated the fuel.
Teraina is about 2900 kilometers from the Kiribati capital, Tarawa, and 600 km from Christmas Island.
The men were carrying more than 20 fish when rough seas, heavy rain and fierce winds pushed their boat away from Teraina.
One of the fishermen, Tetaake Tokarua, told BPA News that they decided to drift rather than use up the remaining fuel.
For four days, the fishermen had no drinking water. They survived by eating parts of their catch and drinking blood from a shark they caught. They also drank sea water.
Tetaake said they would get into the ocean during the hottest part of the day to cool themselves.
The men were rescued on the fourth morning after they spotted a fishing boat and raised the alarm.
Rescuers took the men to Christmas Island where they will await the next available boat or flight to Teraina.
