A family lost at sea for a week has been found alive in a dramatic midnight rescue in the Pacific Ocean.
The three missing relatives – two men and one woman – were discovered drifting in a small boat after their engine failed.
A major search operation was launched across a vast stretch of ocean.
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It came after the group never arrived at their intended destination which raised the alarm.
They had set off on 30 March from Fananu Island in Micronesia for what should have been a short journey to Murillo Island.
But they never arrived.
The alarm was raised on 5 April when authorities in the Federated States of Micronesia and the U.S. Embassy reported the vessel overdue.
The breakthrough came just after midnight when the crew of the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Midgett spotted the family’s 23-foot skiff off the coast of Chuuk State.
The rescue was made even more challenging by rough seas, with waves reaching up to 10 feet.
Despite spending days adrift, all three were found alive and uninjured.
They were safely brought ashore to Chuuk State before being transferred back to Fananu Island.
The search covered an area of more than 14,000 square nautical miles.
Capt. Brian Whisler, commanding officer of the Midgett, said: “Our bridge watchstanders spotted the small skiff in rough seas just after midnight, and that kind of situational awareness does not happen by accident.
“It is what this crew trains for, and I could not be prouder of how they performed.”
The operation involved multiple teams, including the U.S. Coast Guard Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam and Air Station Barbers Point, which deployed a Hercules aircraft from Hawaii.
Jennifer Johnson, U.S. Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia, praised the mission.
She said: “Our U.S. Coast Guard colleagues’ swift and courageous actions… reinforce the deep and enduring partnership between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia.”
Officials said the family’s ordeal began after their boat’s single outboard engine failed, leaving them stranded at sea.
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