Fisherman Maximo Napa Castro, 61, was rescued on Wednesday after being lost in the ocean for more than three months, during which time he managed to survive by eating turtles, birds and cockroaches.
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A fisherman rescued after 95 days at sea has revealed the unusual methods that helped him survive the terrifying ordeal.
Maximo Napa Castro, 61, set out on a fishing boat from the coastal town of Marcona, Peru, on December 7, 2024. He carried enough food for a two-week voyage, but rough weather caused his vessel to sink after just 10 days as supplies began to run low.
His family launched a search, but the country's marine patrols were unable to find him until Wednesday, when the Ecuadorian patrol vessel Don F spotted the fisherman 1,094 km (680 miles) offshore.
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Now Mr Castro, who was severely dehydrated and in critical condition when he was rescued, has shared how he managed to survive in the Pacific Ocean for more than three months. He said he collected rainwater in his boat and ate whatever he could find, including turtles, birds and cockroaches.
Reunited with his brother in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border, on Friday, the fisherman said he had gone the last 15 days without food. He told local media he kept thinking about his family to “hold on” to life, adding: “I said I didn’t want to die for my mother. I had a granddaughter who was only a few months old, I held on to her. Every day I thought about my mother.”
Mr Castro was taken to the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes hospital in Paita for observation before being transferred to Jorge Chavez International Airport in Lima, the Peruvian capital, where he will be reunited with his family on Saturday, according to the Peruvian news agency RPP.
His daughter, Ines Napa Torres, expressed gratitude to the Ecuadorian fishermen for saving her father's life, writing on Facebook: “Thank you, Ecuadorian brothers, for saving my father Gaton, God bless you.” The fisherman's family has grown increasingly anxious over the past three months as the search continues without anyone being able to find Mr Castro.
“Every day is a torment for the whole family, and I understand my grandmother’s suffering, because as a mother I understand her (…) We never thought that we would find ourselves in such a situation, I would not wish this on anyone, we do not lose hope, dad, to find you,” his daughter wrote on Facebook on March 3.
Speaking about returning to normal life, Mr Castro told RPP: “Today I ate rice with chicken and beans. I wanted to eat five plates but I couldn’t, so I had to limit myself to one. My stomach still needs to settle down. My mother is going to make me carapulcra, rice with chicken and sopa seca.” He added: “All I want is to hug my mother. [The doctors] told me I’m fine; I’ve always eaten well.”
Sourse: www.mirror.co.uk
