Sergei Rusborisov, 53, Nicolai Russgrigorev, 35, and Anna Ruskosolapova, 27, were found drifting off Kien Hai District in Kien Giang Province around 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Bui Van Muc, a local on Hon Tre Island, was the first to spot them.

The three had used a home-made raft to sail to the island before its engine broke down, leaving them at the mercy of the currents.

Thanks to Muc, Kien Hai authorities brought them back to shore before transferring them to the provincial Foreign Affairs Department, Vietnam News Agency reported.

At first, the group refused to go ashore, insisting they would fix the raft and resume their voyage, but had to relent under official pressure.

Back on land, they refrained from telling authorities where they had been to during their time in Vietnam, only submitting the health check forms they received after arriving at Tan Son Nhat International Airport in Ho Chi Minh City.

Subsequent tests have confirmed all three to be free of the novel coronavirus and in stable condition. 

Kien Giang Province in southern Vietnam is home to increasingly popular Phu Quoc Island alongside multiple smaller island destinations.

In the first 11 months of last year, the province received 8.1 million tourists, including over 653,500 foreigners.