3 May 2014

14 Bougainvilleans lost at sea found

5:08 pm on 3 May 2014

The provincial disaster manager in Papua New Guinea's Bougainville, says a group of 14 people, missing at sea for a week, has been found safe and well.

The group went missing on Friday a week ago while travelling from Nissan Island to Buka.

Franklin Lacey says an Australian Airforce plane spotted the boat late on Friday afternoon.

"So they gave me the co-ordinates. I gave the co-ordinates to my search party and they got them [ the missing 14] over to Fead Island."

Bougainville's provincial disaster manager, Franklin Lacey, says the four children on board the boat are well, but a number of the adults are still under medical observation.

He says it appears the boat ran out of fuel.

Mr Lacey says the group should be back in Buka tomorrow.