Tonight, we have a story of solidarity, hope and ultimately survival in the face of adversity. It took place more than fifty years ago, but when it was rediscovered last year it caused a sensation. As we first told you earlier this year, it's a tale of a group of schoolboys stranded on a remote and deserted island for more than 15 months. It might remind you of the famous novel -- Lord of the Flies, by William Golding -- but as you'll see, the outcome of this real-life story could not have been more different.
The story begins in 1965. Mano Totau and five of his friends were studying at a boarding school in Tonga, an island nation in the Pacific Ocean. Bored, rebellious, and yearning for adventure—they stole a traditional whaling boat—and with reckless abandon they set off for Fiji.