100 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean: Nine leave Micronesia by boat; 5 survive, 4 die in Kiribati

What was supposed to be a one-hour boat journey turned into a nearly 100-day fight for survival in the Pacific Ocean. Nine family members from Micronesia found themselves stranded aboard a 20-foot skiff after a storm blew their boat off course and it ran out of fuel. With no immediate rescue in sight, they battled hunger, dehydration and harsh weather for months.

Four family members, including a child, died during the ordeal, while the five survivors eventually reached an island in Kiribati, more than 3,000 miles away.A short journey turns into a nightmare at seaAccording to reports by The New York Times, The Times and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), the family boarded the small boat on July 30. Among the nine passengers were 31-year-old Tedwinson Paul and eight younger relatives. They were travelling between islands in Micronesia to collect supplies, expecting to complete the journey in about an hour.However, a storm changed everything.

The boat was blown off course and eventually ran out of fuel, leaving the family at the mercy of the ocean.