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2 Spaniards adrift at sea 10 days arrive in Malaysian city
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David Hernandez (center) is hugged by family members upon his arrival at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport in Sabah, Malaysia, Friday. (AP/Saradik Babuca)
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wo Spaniards and two Malaysians who spent 10 days adrift at sea had no food during the ordeal and drank small amounts of sea water to survive, using a bag to filter out salt, the father of one of the Spaniards said Friday.
Marta Miguel and her boyfriend David Hernandez are weakened but in relatively good health, her father Luis Miguel told Spanish National Radio.
"Physically, they're not badly off despite everything they have suffered," Luis Miguel told the radio station.
TV images showed them smiling Friday as they got off a plane in the Malaysian city of Kota Kinabalu.
They were rescued by a Vietnamese fishing boat in waters off Borneo island.
The Spaniards were traveling in a small boat with the owner of a Malaysian resort and a resort employee.
A big wave swamped the boat and the waters carried away what food and water they had aboard.
They were unable to restart the motor, Luis Miguel said.
Spanish media have reported that the two were working as volunteers at the resort to get experience so they could start their own business, possibly in Malaysia.
Miguel said his daughter and her boyfriend will fly home to see relatives and that it's possible they will then go back to Malaysia.
They may want "to fulfill their dreams, but I wouldn't like that. It's been very traumatic for everyone, and for them as well," Miguel said.
