A Peruvian fisherman, Maximo Napa Castro, 61, has been rescued after spending 95 days lost at sea in the Pacific Ocean. His boat was blown off course by a storm, leaving him adrift with limited supplies. Castro survived by catching rainwater and eating turtles, birds, cockroaches, and other small creatures. He credited his love for his family, particularly his two-month-old granddaughter, with giving him the strength to endure the ordeal.
Castro’s mother had lost hope during her son’s disappearance, but he was eventually found by an Ecuadorian patrol vessel, 1,094km from the coast. After a medical assessment in Lima, Castro was reunited with his family, including his daughter Inés Napa, who welcomed him home with a bottle of pisco. The community in Castro’s hometown celebrated his return, and his niece Leyla Torres Napa said that his birthday, which passed while he was lost at sea, would now be a special celebration due to his survival.
Castro’s rescue is reminiscent of previous extraordinary survival stories, including those of Russian Mikhail Pichugin and Salvadoran José Salvador Alvarenga, who both survived months at sea on limited supplies.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cj92438d3xmo