With “Prayer and Coconuts” .. Two men from the Solomon Islands survive 29 days, lost at sea

Two men from the Solomon Islands held out for 29 days in the Pacific Ocean, eating coconuts and oranges and praying before they were rescued off the coast of Papua New Guinea, 400 km away.

The two men were traveling by sea from one island to another when a storm hit their seven-metre boat, a few hours after they began their journey on 3 September.

The land was no longer seen by Levi Nanjikana and Junior Colony "in the midst of heavy rain, thick black clouds and strong winds," Nanjikana revealed in statements to Solomon Islands Broadcasting Corporation television.

Their GPS battery ran out, and by nightfall, they decided to turn the engine off to save fuel.

They spent their first night under heavy rain, blown by strong winds, which drove the boat further from the coast.

For the first nine days, they ate oranges they brought with them.

After the fruits ran out, they survived thanks to the rainwater, the coconut, and “our faith in God, as we did not stop praying day and night,” Levi Nanjikana said.

They were collecting rainwater with a cloth bag and starting the boat's engine when they saw coconuts on the surface of the water.

"After days of prayers, God inspired us to build a sailing navigation mechanism... that follows the direction of the wind," said Levi Nanjikana.

They ended up in Papua New Guinea, where they saw a fisherman.

They started the engine to rush towards him, but the fuel had run out. “We were happy screaming and moving our hands towards him, until he saw us and came to us,” Nanjikana said.

The two men are still in Papua New Guinea, awaiting completion of procedures for their return to the Solomon Islands.

Follow our latest local and sports news and the latest political and economic developments via Google news