Peruvian Fisherman Found Alive After More Than 90 Days Lost At Sea
Credit: FreePiK
A Peruvian fisherman was found and rescued after more than 90 days lost at sea. After setting sail from San Juan de Marcona on December 7, the man lost course and communication due to bad weather and not being equipped with a radio beacon. He was found near Chimbote in northern Peru by an Ecuadorian boat last week (March 12).
Maximo Napa’s family lost contact with him ten days into his two-week journey. Though the family launched a search, it was unsuccessful. However, after more than three months lost at sea, Napa was found alive. He reportedly said he survived by eating cockroaches, birds, and sea turtles and drinking rainwater in the final 15 days before he was found. His survival mindset was also heavily driven by his love for his family. “I didn’t want to die, for my mother. I have a two-month-old granddaughter — I clung to that. Every day I thought about my mother,” Napa said in tears during an interview.
Media outlets captured his virtual reunion with his family and in-person reunion with his brother.
After being found, the 61-year-old fisherman was taken to receive medical attention alongside his brother. According to CBS, the Navy port captain described Napa’s well-being as “shocked, but in good physical condition.” He was discharged on Saturday (March 15). He later boarded a flight to join his family in Lima, according to the RPP radio station.
“It is a miracle that my father has been found,” Napa’s daughter Ines Napa told the aforementioned radio station. “We, as a family, never gave up hope of finding him.”
Napa is now reunited with his family. He was met by his town upon arrival.
Photo Credit: Freepik
