Five survivors rescued after 3 months lost at sea
The gist
Five people, including two children, were rescued off Kiribati's Fanning Island after nearly 100 days adrift.
Four of the nine aboard died; the Coast Guard search ended in August.
How it unfolded
- Jul 30, 2026A skiff with nine people aboard was reported missing after failing to return to Ruo Island in Micronesia; the group had been caught in a storm during a one-hour crossing between Murilo and Ruo.
- Jul 31, 2026 – Aug 10, 2026The U.S. Coast Guard searched more than 33,000 square miles (85,700 km2) of ocean and called off the search after finding no sign of the vessel.
- Nov 1, 2026Villagers on Kiribati's Fanning Island found the skiff with five survivors, including two children, roughly 3,355 miles (5,400 km) from where the journey began. Chuuk governor Alexander Narruhn said he had begun talks with the Kiribati government to bring them home.
Key terms
- skiff
- A small boat of various unrelated styles, usually propelled by sails or oars and used for work, fishing, or leisure.
- U.S. Coast Guard
- A maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of a country's armed forces.
- Chuuk
- One of the four states of the Federated States of Micronesia, made up of several island groups in the Pacific.
Source: Wikipedia