FOUR Nigerian stowaways have defied incredible odds, surviving a harrowing 14 days while trapped in a confined space above the rudder of a cargo vessel before ultimately being rescued, reports Athens Safety4Sea.

The ordeal underscores the lengths to which migrants are willing to go in pursuit of a better life.

According to Brazilian federal police, the quartet managed to endure their confinement in a restricted space, enduring the grueling journey across 5,600 kilometers (3,500 miles) of ocean.

During their time stuck on the vessel, they resorted to drinking seawater during the last four days of their trial.

The astonishing narrative of their journey, which borders on the miraculous, serves as a grim reminder of the risks migrants face for the promise of improved circumstances.

The Nigerian men revealed that their aspirations had led them to embark on a journey toward Europe, and Brazil was far from their intended destination.

While two of the men have since returned to Nigeria, the remaining pair sought refuge in Brazil.

As recounted, the journey began on June 27 when one of the men was rowed to the stern of the Liberian-flagged vessel named Ken Wave, anchored in Lagos, by a friend who was a fisherman.

Left by the rudder, he braved the uncertainty as the ship set sail, striving to evade detection by the ship's crew.

Surviving in such perilous proximity to the vast Atlantic Ocean came with its own set of dangers.

The stowaways battled sleep deprivation due to both the engine noise and the tight, constricted conditions they endured, often tethered by a rope.