Five survive two months adrift in small boat

A group of Papua New Guineans survived two months adrift on the Pacific Ocean in a tiny boat, with no food and just the clothes they were wearing.

The five friends were so weak they could not walk when they landed in the Marshall Islands on Tuesday night. Three of their party died.

One survivor was carried onto the wharf on a stretcher, the others were supported by doctors and nurses.

"All I could see was skin and bones, they were unable to talk," said Douglas Henry of the Marshall Islands Journal.

Mack Kaminaga, of the Marshall Islands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the group was rushed to the emergency department of Majuro Hospital and put on IV drips.

"They had lost a lot of weight but after they were in hospital we could see they were better," he said.

They had been drifting since September 14, when their boat ran out of petrol on a two-hour journey from the island of Tabar to their native Lihir.

They set off as a group of eight, but three died. The five survivors - Alfred Snail, 18, Matetonduec Chiclble, 18, Gererd Nakot and Gererd Bungim, both 19, and Nick Sailes, 29 - were last night recovering in hospital.

Nurse Cami Kiotak said they were "doing okay" and eating and drinking normally.

But they were coming to terms with the loss of three friends.

A month into the voyage Michael Kolvir - who at 17 was the youngest - dived into the sea to retrieve clothing that blew off the boat and did not return.

"He was drying clothes on the side of the boat and the wind blew it off so he went after it and he had no strength to swim back to the boat," said Mr Henry, who had spoken to one of the rescuers.

His friends did not have the strength to swim out and save him.

Clement Singazoa, 25, perished hours before reaching the Marshall Islands, while Samuel Savor, 25, died shortly after they boarded a rescue vessel on Sunday.

"He just didn't have any strength left," said Mr Henry.

The group was first sighted by an American helicopter belonging to US-flagged fishing vessel the Ocean Encounter on Sunday, drifting off the Micronesian island of Nauru. They were airlifted out to the US vessel.

Mr Kaminaga said that since news of the rescue spread, people had come forward with clothing and food.

The men had also been comforted by Papua New Guinean medical staff tending to them in hospital.

"They felt like they were at home."

Mr Kaminaga said his staff were working with their Papua New Guinean counterparts to organise the men's return home, once they were well enough.