A FISHERMAN managed to survive after being lost at sea for three months by eating turtles, birds and cockroaches.
Maximo Napa Castro, aged 61, initially set out for a two-week fishing expedition from the coastal Peruvian town of Marcona. However, due to a severe storm, his trip extended to 95 grueling days of being lost at sea.
Only ten days after Castro began his journey on December 7th, he encountered a violent storm that caused him to lose his course and be stranded with limited supplies.
His distressed family initiated an extensive search operation to find him, fearing the worst as Peru’s maritime patrols struggled to locate his whereabouts.
But on Wednesday, the Ecuadorian patrol vessel Don F discovered Castro a whopping 680 miles from the coast.
Despite being alive, he was dehydrated and in critical condition.
The 61-year-old had managed to survive by cleverly catching rainwater in his boat, as well as consuming anything he found.
On Friday during a heartwarming reunion with his brother, Castro described how he desperately ate cockroaches and birds while lost at sea.
But his hunger continued to grow, which resulted in him devouring sea turtles.
In his final 15 days of being lost in his boat, Castro revealed he didn’t even have any food.
Recalling what motivated him to stay strong during the horrific incident, the fisherman said: “I thought about my mother everyday.
“I’m thankful to God for giving me a second chance.”
He added that he also thought about his two-month-old granddaughter while out at sea.
Castro’s mum, Elena, told local media that she began to lose hope with her son lost, while other family members remained optimistic that he would be found.
Following his unbelievable rescue, Castro was taken immediately to Paita for a medical assessment before getting flown to Lima.
And at Jorge Chavez International Airport, he was finally reunited with his daughter, Ines, who was there clutching a bottle of pisco – Peru’s national drink.
Meanwhile, back in Castro’s home area of San Andres, members of the community had decorated the streets to celebrate his return, they told Peruvian media agency RPP.
Castro’s niece, Leyla Torres Napa, revealed how the family planned to celebrate his birthday which occurred while he was still lost at sea.
She said: “The day of his birth was unique because all that he could eat [at sea] was a small cookie, so it is very important for us that we celebrate because, for us, he has been reborn.”
Similarly, Mikhail Pichugin, 45, from Russia, managed to survive more than two months in the Sea of Okhotsk in a 15ft inflatable vessel after the engine cut out.
As his vessel drifted at least 625 miles over 67 days, Pichugin lost 50kg, about half of his body weight.
He revealed that he survived only on the rainwater he collected, soaked dried peas, and freeze-fried noodles.
