11 Fishermen Rescued After Being Stranded on Island for 6 Days Without Food or Water, 8 Others Missing

Nearly a dozen Indonesian fishermen were rescued on a barren island off Australia’s coast after Cyclone Ilsa made landfall on Friday.

Two Indonesian fishing boats, theExpress 1and thePutri Jaya, were caught in the path of the Category 5 storm, which had wind gusts reaching up to a reported record of 180 miles per hour.

The survivors are “in good health despite their ordeal,” the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported.

ThePutri Jaya, reportedly sank in “extreme weather conditions.” The only known survivor from the nine-member crew spent 30 hours in the water before washing ashore on the same island, according to ABC.

While an Australian Border Force plane patrolled for illegal activity and smuggling, the fishermen on theExpress 1were spotted,CBS Newsreported. A rescue helicopter was deployed shortly thereafter when the men were airlifted to safety. The survivors were admitted to Broome Hospital.

9 news australia

Gordon Watt, a PHI Aviation’s search and rescue expert, called their tale of survival “remarkable,” reportedABC News.“Untold, unimaginable fear I’d imagine is what they would have experienced,” he said. “That must have been really difficult for them — it’s a really remote area.”

Ilsa was described as “Australia’s most powerful storm in eight years,” according toNBC News, and was deemed a maximum Category 5 cyclone.

In an official statement, the Australian Border Force reported how “this incident highlights the dangers of undertaking journeys in small boats unsuited to rough seas and adverse weather events, both of which are common in Australia’s northern waters.”

Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

The eight missing fishermen are expected to be the only fatalities from Ilsa.

source: people.com