Tokelau teen speaks of terrifying ordeal on ocean

One of the three teenage survivors cast adrift in the Pacific for 50 days has spoken for the first time of how the trio survived.

Filo Filo, 15, said he and his friends had almost given up when New Zealand fishing boat San Nikunau came across them by chance.

Filo said: "We were scared and praying was the only thing that kept us occupied every day. We had little hope that we would survive."

The Tokelau teen and friends Samu Pelesa, 15, and Etueni Nasau, 14, were yesterday recovering in hospital in Suva, Fiji, after drifting 1300km after the outboard on their dinghy ran out of petrol on October 5.

The three had only intended a short fishing trip, said Filo.

He said the friends had a few coconuts to eat over the first few days and after that were only able to eat what they could catch.

"We survived because of God. We managed to catch a few flying fish using tarpaulin and we also had a seagull which we saw one afternoon on the boat. We ate them raw."

With ocean around them and no sign of dry land, Filo said they knew death was close.

"The faces of our loved ones were what kept us going," he said. "We kept praying for a miracle and asked God for help."

For Samu, the arrival at the Suva naval base carried the extra delight of his sister Lillian, who is a student at the city's University of the South Pacific campus.

It was an emotional reunion for the siblings as they hugged each other and tears flowed.

The rescued teenagers were admitted to hospital to get treatment for extensive sunburn and dehydration. They were still on a liquid diet with their bodies rejecting solid food.

The trio were also waiting for immigration issues to be cleared up and the the next boat back to Tokelau.