Maximo Napa Castro, a 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman, has been rescued after 95 harrowing days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, subsisting on an extraordinary diet of turtles, birds, and even cockroaches.
Survival Against All Odds: Peruvian Fisherman Rescued After 95 Days Adrift at Sea
Survival Against All Odds: Peruvian Fisherman Rescued After 95 Days Adrift at Sea
A remarkable story of resilience unfolds as a fisherman is rescued after nearly three months lost at sea, relying on his wit and will to survive.
After embarking on a fishing excursion from Marcona on December 7 that was meant to last just two weeks, a sudden storm left him adrift, prompting a desperate search by his family. However, despite their efforts, maritime patrols struggled to find him. It was only this week that the Ecuadorian patrol boat, Don F, located him over 1,000 kilometers from shore, in a severely dehydrated and critical condition.
Napa’s survival was a remarkable testament to human resilience; he ingeniously collected rainwater and consumed what scarce resources he could catch. In his own words, he revealed that he finished his last 15 days without any food, resorting to hunting for roaches and birds before ultimately eating sea turtles. The thought of his family, especially a two-month-old granddaughter, fueled his endurance throughout the grueling ordeal.
His emotional reunion with family took place in Paita after being airlifted to Lima for medical attention, where he was greeted by his daughter, Inés, with a celebratory bottle of pisco. “The day of his birth was unique because all that he could eat [while at sea] was a small cookie,” stated his niece Leyla. Neighbors in his community celebrated his return, emphasizing how he had practically been "reborn" after his traumatic experience.
This story follows a series of similar survival tales, including that of Russian fisherman Mikhail Pichugin, who was rescued after 67 days adrift, and Salvadoran fisherman José Salvador Alvarenga, who survived a staggering 14 months at sea.
As Napa reflects on his ordeal, he expresses profound gratitude, saying, “I thought about my mother every day. I’m thankful to God for giving me a second chance.”
Napa’s survival was a remarkable testament to human resilience; he ingeniously collected rainwater and consumed what scarce resources he could catch. In his own words, he revealed that he finished his last 15 days without any food, resorting to hunting for roaches and birds before ultimately eating sea turtles. The thought of his family, especially a two-month-old granddaughter, fueled his endurance throughout the grueling ordeal.
His emotional reunion with family took place in Paita after being airlifted to Lima for medical attention, where he was greeted by his daughter, Inés, with a celebratory bottle of pisco. “The day of his birth was unique because all that he could eat [while at sea] was a small cookie,” stated his niece Leyla. Neighbors in his community celebrated his return, emphasizing how he had practically been "reborn" after his traumatic experience.
This story follows a series of similar survival tales, including that of Russian fisherman Mikhail Pichugin, who was rescued after 67 days adrift, and Salvadoran fisherman José Salvador Alvarenga, who survived a staggering 14 months at sea.
As Napa reflects on his ordeal, he expresses profound gratitude, saying, “I thought about my mother every day. I’m thankful to God for giving me a second chance.”
