A Cook Islands fisher has described his week-long ordeal adrift in the Pacific Ocean after his outboard motor failed while fishing near Pukapuka atoll.
Apiuta Apiuta was lost at sea for seven days before a New Zealand Defence Force P-8A Poseidon aircraft spotted him last Thursday. The crew of a Taiwanese fishing vessel retrieved him from the ocean.
Apiuta had caught 9 fish when his motor stopped working as darkness fell. He attempted to drain and refuel the motor but could not restart it. Strong winds pushed him away from the island despite rowing with two oars, and after the first night he could no longer see land.
A 4-day storm brought conditions that threw him overboard twice. "The sea was rough - really rough - and the wind, very strong. Waves were breaking into the boat," Apiuta said. He worked the oars constantly to prevent capsizing.
Apiuta had left without a torch or lifejacket in his rush to fish before dark, carrying only approximately 3 litres of water. Constant rain during the storm allowed him to collect drinking water in a bucket. He endured cold conditions wearing only shorts and a T-shirt.
On the seventh day, Apiuta heard the RNZAF aircraft overhead. "I was so happy when I first saw it. I was very happy," he said. The aircraft blinked its lights to signal he had been spotted.
After the fishing vessel crew took him to the kitchen and fed him noodles, Apiuta called his partner, who relayed the news to his family in New Zealand. His sister Tina said she always believed he would survive. The family thanked the New Zealand Defence Force for the rescue operation.