Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

PNG men recover in Marshalls after drifting for weeks

Posted at 05:55 on 20 November, 2009 UTC

The five Papua New Guinea drifters who were lost at sea for two months are slowly recovering in Majuro hospital in the Marshall Islands.

The group of seven men was rescued near Nauru by a US fishing vessel, but two died on the ship before it could reach Majuro.

A Foreign Affairs official says they have been unable to make direct contact with officials in Port Moresby to discuss repatriation of the PNG islanders despite numberous phone calls and emails.

A nurse attending to the men said four have been eating hospital food and that aside from suffering from fevers they are slowly recovering and will stay in hospital until they can regain their strength.

One of the survivors, Nick Sale, says speaking to their families lifted

their spirits immensely.