The cutter lost power when its diesel engine couped after leaving Bougainville's coast, leaving the crew without an anchor or propulsion.
Luka Rahan and his cousin, 24‑year‑old Toma Kanu, drifted thousands of miles in the Pacific, a journey that spanned 41 days before the current carried them between Tarawa and Maiana.
Local Kiribati fishermen spotted the abandoned boat on Oct 27, found Rahan alone and severely dehydrated, and discovered that Kanu had already perished a week earlier.
Rahan was air‑lifted to a hospital in Tarawa, where doctors treated him for dehydration and hypothermia, and he is now showing steady improvement.
Papua New Guinean engineer Jonathan Anthony Kunau, stationed in Tarawa, coordinated with national police to arrange a return flight for Rahan to Papua New Guinea and to keep his family informed.
The incident has prompted authorities in Bougainville to review maritime safety protocols and urge fishermen to carry essential gear such as anchors, compasses, and emergency communication devices.