'It was God all along': Rescued doctor recounts harrowing 38-hour ordeal at sea

"It was never our strength. It was never our knowledge as medical workers. It was the loving hands of God all along."

Those were the emotional words of Lakeba Sub-Divisional Hospital dental officer Dr Jone Tuiwai, who said he and his five colleagues owe their lives entirely to God after surviving nearly 38 hours adrift at sea before they were rescued.

Speaking in the iTaukei language during a thanksgiving service in Tamavua, Suva, yesterday, Dr Tuiwai described the team's survival as a miracle and said they had become living testimony to God's love and protection.

"We are living testimony that God lives and He is with us," an emotional Dr Tuiwai said.

While many accounts have emerged about the ordeal, Dr Tuiwai said the six medical workers wanted their message to remain simple.

"There have been many stories you might have heard, but for us, the six that made it out alive after close to 38 hours in the open sea, we will only declare that it was God all along," he said.

Dr Tuiwai said neither their medical training nor professional experience could have prepared them for what they endured.

"It was never our strength or our knowledge as medical workers and professionals in our respective fields. It was God," he said.

"He gave us a second chance at life because He knew there were things we still had to do here on earth — His will."

He admitted the hours drifting at sea were among the most difficult of their lives but said their faith never wavered.

"It was never an easy moment for us — those 30-plus hours. But we trusted in the Master of the Winds, the Creator of the Seas, of Heaven and Earth."

Dr Tuiwai recalled the frightening reality of being surrounded by nothing but open ocean.

"During those 30-plus hours drifting at sea, we could not see Lakeba or any other island, but we knew Heaven was in sight," he said.

Despite the uncertainty, he said the group never lost hope.

"We held on to our faith and believed it was not our strength, but His loving arms that kept us safe throughout every hour we were adrift."

In one of the most moving moments of his testimony, Dr Tuiwai reflected on how everything they relied on had been stripped away.

"Our clothes were further from us. God was the closest."

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka visited the survivors at Twomey Hospital yesterday afternoon, describing them as being in "very high spirits" and thanking healthcare workers across Fiji for their dedication and service.

Mr Rabuka said the visit also provided an opportunity for Government to reflect on measures needed to improve safety for medical teams serving maritime communities.

He said the standard of vessels provided to health workers operating in the islands was one area that would need careful review following the incident.