A Peruvian fisherman has been rescued after spending 95 days lost in the Pacific Ocean, surviving on rainwater, insects, birds, and sea turtles.
M?ximo Napa Castro, 61, set out from Marcona, Peru, on Dec. 7 for a fishing trip, expecting to return in two weeks. However, stormy weather pushed his boat off course, leaving him stranded at sea.
His family and fellow fishermen searched for months, but Peru’s maritime patrols were unable to locate him. On March 11, an Ecuadorian fishing boat found Napa roughly 1,094 km off the coast of northern Peru, severely dehydrated and in critical condition.
“I did not want to die,” Napa told local media, saying he kept thinking about his family, especially his 2-month-old granddaughter. He went 15 days without food before being rescued.
His mother, Elena Castro, said she had begun to lose hope, but his daughter remained optimistic.
Napa received medical care at a hospital in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border, before being discharged on March 15. He was scheduled for additional medical checks before returning home to his family.