2 men survived 29 days lost at sea by eating oranges and floating coconuts and drinking rain water

• Two men were in a motorboat on the Solomon Sea when a storm pushed them into the open water.
• They were lost at sea for 29 days, and survived in part by eating coconuts floating in the water.

Two men from the Solomon Islands were rescued earlier this month after spending 29 days lost at sea.

Livae Nanjikana and Junior Qoloni, who were found about 250 miles off the coast of Papua New Guinea, told Agence France-Presse that they survived on oranges they had brought with them, coconuts they found floating in the ocean, and rain water.

The men got lost while traveling between islands on the Solomon Sea in a 23-foot motorboat on September 3.

They said a storm pushed their boat out to sea and their GPS battery died.

"After several days, because we prayed, God gave us this thought of constructing a device to sail. So we constructed a mast-like structure using paddles and canvas and set sail following the direction of the wind," Nanjikana told AFP.

A fisherman ultimately found them, and brought them to safety in Papua New Guinea, where they're now staying while making arrangements to get home.

"I had no idea what was going on while I was out there," Nanjikana told The Guardian. "I didn't hear about Covid or anything else. I look forward to going back home but I guess it was a nice break from everything."