Explorers were voluntarily cast away, surviving a stretch on a remote island for charity.

Ilford Recorder: Daniel Bouskila, 34, in Palau. Picture: Ascent ExplorersDaniel Bouskila, 34, in Palau. Picture: Ascent Explorers (Image: Archant)

Daniel Bouskila, 34, from Hainault, led a crew of adventurers as they hunted food, built fires and put up shelter on their two-week trip to an island in Palau – a group of islands in the Pacific ocean east of the Philippines.

The survival expert and his team wanted to test their skills and strengths to the limit armed with just a couple of machetes on their expedition.

The group raised more than £1,000 for human rights charity Action Aid.

Daniel, who has trekked in Namibia and the Himalayas, said: “It took us two planes and a four-hour boat ride to get there – we felt completely isolated, there was no one around.

“All we had were a couple of machetes which allowed us to build shelters – which was really important because of the scorpions that were there.

“We cut down vines and made them into ropes to help secure shelters. We got everything from the palm trees, we even lived off coconuts until we found fish to eat.”

The crew leader, who takes aspiring survivalists on expeditions through his group Ascent Explorers, spent most nights manning the fire and gathering wood after being fed up with being “mauled” by mosquitos while asleep.

He said: “During the night it would turn into this scary place and as soon as the sun came up it was totally different.

“The pacific islands is so beautiful but it’s very isolated and it gives off that Robinson Crusoe effect.”

He added: “It was hard and I go on expeditions on a regular basis, but at the end of the day, you’re in the same boat as everyone else even as a leader, so you’ve got to try and boost morale and motivate people when they’re feeling low.”

The trip has had a lasting effect on the group.

“When you’re stranded on a desert island together it’s hard not to bond with them when you come out of the other side – we’ve come out of it as good friends.”