Man drifts in Pacific Ocean for 95 days and miraculously survives
A man from Peru ended up in the ocean due to a storm, where he spent 95 days (Collage by RBC-Ukraine)
A man set out for fishing and brought supplies for two weeks. However, his boat was thrown off course by a powerful storm, and he ended up in the Pacific Ocean, where he drifted alone for over three months.
Daily Mail reports how the man managed to survive in the middle of the ocean, what he ate, and how he was rescued.
61-year-old Maximo Napa Castro set out from the city of Marcona on the southern coast of Peru for fishing on December 7, 2024. He planned to be away for up to two weeks and brought along a supply of food. However, after 10 days, his boat was thrown off course by a powerful storm, and Maximo found himself in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
His family began searching for him, but the maritime patrols were unable to find any traces of his boat. Maximo’s mother, Elena Castro, admitted to the media that although their family is optimistic, they started to lose hope.
"I told the Lord, whether he's alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it's just to see him. But my daughters never lost faith. They kept telling me: Mom, he'll come back, he'll come back,'" the woman said.
For nearly three months, Maximo's entire family prayed for his safe return. His daughter, Ines Napa Torres, was the most worried. She wrote on social media that she never lost hope that her father would be found.
"Every day is anguish for the whole family and I understand my grandmother's pain because as a mother I understand her. We never thought we would go through this situation, I wouldn't wish it on anyone, we will not lose hope, Dad, of finding you," Ines wrote at the beginning of March.
On March 16, Maximo spotted an Ecuadorian fishing vessel - nearly a thousand kilometers from the shore. He began signaling to get noticed, hoping the sailors would come to his aid.
The man was severely dehydrated and in critical condition. When he was rescued, he admitted that he hadn't eaten for the last 15 days.
To survive in the middle of the ocean, Maximo had to eat bream, birds, and, as he confessed, even turtles. He collected rainwater to have something to drink.
"I did not want to die. I ate roaches, birds, the last thing I ate was turtles. I had a granddaughter who is a few months old, I held on to her. Every day I thought of my mother, I'm thankful to God for giving me a second chance," the man said.
After his rescue, Maximo was taken to a hospital in Paita, where he underwent an examination. Doctors say he was shocked, exhausted, but in satisfactory physical condition - he could walk and wash himself on his own.
He is now undergoing rehabilitation in his hometown and is incredibly happy to have returned to his family.
