Ab-Titchaz
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- Jan 30, 2008
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Three boys adrift in Pacific for 50 days found alive
Three teenage boys have been found alive after being lost in their boat in the Pacific Ocean for 50 days.
The boys, from the Tokelau Islands, a New Zealand-administered territory in the South Pacific, had been given up for dead.
A tuna fishing boat picked them up near Fiji and is taking them to hospital for treatment.
The boys had severe sunburn but were otherwise well, rescuers said.
'Good spirits'
The boys - two aged 15 and one aged 14 - had gone missing from Atafu Atoll in a small aluminium boat after an annual sport event on 5 October.
They were presumed to have died after unsuccessful searches by the New Zealand air force.
A memorial service was held for them.
The boys were then spotted north-east of Fiji on Wednesday afternoon.
"They were in reasonably good spirits for how long they'd been adrift for, for approximately two months," said the first mate of the tuna vessel, Tai Fredricsen.
"They were very badly sunburnt. They were in the open during the day up in the tropics there.
"But really they just needed basic first aid, which was some creams just to help soothe their burns.
"And they were able to take our fluids orally, which was quite amazing considering how long they were without food for," he said.
He added that the three were thrilled to be rescued and were now relaxing listening to music and watching cartoons.
BBC News - Three boys adrift in Pacific for 50 days found alive