Rescuers located a family of four that had been lost at sea for six days over the weekend and brought them safely to shore again.
The U.S. Coast Guard and the Royal New Zealand Air Force worked together on Saturday to locate and rescue the family that had been missing since October 31.
The family had set sail on October 31 in a 4 meter (13 foot) aluminum boat from the the Pacific island nation of Kiribati. When they failed to return a search was issued. On Thursday the government officials in Kiribati made an international appeal for help with the search.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force spotted the boat on Saturday afternoon. Immediately afterwards the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Rush sent a rescue boat to meet the lost family.
The rescuers treated the family for mild hypothermia and malnutrition before sending them via helicopter to Kiribati’s Butaritari village. The family consisted of a 53 year old man, 54 year old woman and two boys aged 7 and 8.
The family was found 2300 miles south of Hawaii and 230 miles from Butaritari, which was the nearest form of land to the victims.
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