21 Feb 2012

Rescued Samoan fishermen well despite two weeks lost at sea

2:35 pm on 21 February 2012

Three Samoan fishermen, missing for two weeks, have arrived in American Samoa, after being rescued yesterday by the cruise ship Seabourn Odyssey.

The men, 25-year-old Oli Faavae of Falefa, 34-year-old Sailigi Simi of Sataua, and Tuitea Talavou from Vailele, had left the Aleipata area in an alia on February the 6th with plans to return the following day.

Searches involving the New Zealand Air Force and the United States Coast Guard were called off after a week.

Our correspondent in Pago Pago, Monica Miller, says the men are safe and well.

"They had apparently caught a lot of fish and it's that fish that they survived on, up till when they were found yesterday. But they are all OK and they made contact with home as soon as they arrived here. Our Port Director made arrangements for them to call home and let their families know they were OK."