The crew of the tuna trawler “Marielle,” consisting of two sailors from Zadar, Mario Radulić and Marko Birkić, are being praised for their heroic efforts in rescuing two fishermen who had been stranded in the Pacific Ocean for up to 30 days. The two fishermen, hailing from the country of Kiribati, were able to survive by drinking rainwater and eating raw fish after their engine broke down and they were swept 300 miles away from their island of Nonouti.

The captain of the ship, Mario Radulić, recounted how they spotted the exhausted fishermen from a great distance and made a course correction to rescue them. Despite being in a small boat that was too low to be detected by radar, the sailors managed to notice the fishermen’s distress signals. They had gone 30 days without proper food or water when they were finally rescued.

The sailors believe that it was the consistent rain that fell during the last 15 days of their ordeal that kept them alive. When they were brought on board the tuna boat, the crew had to give them water and food little by little as they nursed them back to health. The 21-member crew of “Marielle” includes one Mexican, seven Filipinos, 11 Micronesians, and two Croats who are being hailed for their efforts to save the two stranded fishermen. Their actions have been celebrated as a great achievement by all those involved in saving these men’s lives.