The three Mexican fishermen who found dry land after being lost at sea for 10 months have attributed their survival not only to the raw birds and fish that fed them each day but also their faith and the Bible.

|TOP|One of the survivors, 27-year-old Jesus Vidana Lopey, testified: “We spent most of the time reading the Bible.”

The three men, who stepped onto dry ground in the Marshall Islands, claimed their ship had drifted thousands of miles across the Pacific during the last 10 months.

The two other survivors were Salvador Ordonez, 37, and Lucio Rendon, 27, who survived their harrowing ordeal by spearing and capturing seabirds that landed on their fishing boat and by drinking collected rainwater.

Vidana told AFP that the men spent their time “fishing and praying mostly”.

He added: “God really helped us because we were at sea for so long."

|AD|The three men originally set sail from the Mexican port of San Blas on 28 October last year for a shark fishing expedition.

Two other men who were with them on the 29-foot boat died within two months of the boat running out of fuel because their bodies could not handle the only available food.

The three survivors reported December and January as their hardest time when they were caught up in big storms and unable to catch much food but described how they took turns to read the Bible and pray together to keep them going through the ordeal.

"We were afraid we would sink," said Vidana, speaking on board the rescue ship as it sailed into harbour in the Marshall Islands capital of Majuro.

"The longest we went without food was about 13 days during that time when we had only one seabird to eat."

Upon docking in the Marshall Islands, the men were examined by doctors before being taken to Majuro Hospital for further check-ups.

The Mexican Council of Bishops said their faith was a shining example to others.

They are expected to leave for Honolulu on Wednesday for the next stage of their journey home.