twˈɛntisˈɛvən pˈɜːsənz wɜː θˈɔːt tə hæv sɚvˈaɪvd baɪ dɹˈɪftɪŋ tə ðə kˈoʊst ˌɔn ˈɛɹdᵻlˈɪvɚd lˈaɪf ɹˈæfts, wˌaɪl wˈʌn pˈɜːsən wʌz tˈeɪkən bˈæk tə pˈoːɹt mˈoːɹsbi baɪ ɐ ɹˈɔɪəl ɔːstɹˈeɪliən ˈɛɹ fˈoːɹs ɹˈɛskjuː plˈeɪn.
Twenty-seven persons were thought to have survived by drifting to the coast on air-delivered life rafts, while one person was taken back to Port Moresby by a Royal Australian Air Force rescue plane.