They had to take off the two outboard motors to eliminate weight in the process. So they were left powerless as currents pushed them out into the open ocean. Somehow, as they drifted for days and then months, they missed landing on any of the islands between Samoa and Papua New Guinea. When they were close to Fiji, they sent up some flares that were on board, but nobody came out to rescue them. The men said they also saw several ships pass by, but the ships just went on.