A Peruvian fisherman has been rescued alive in the Pacific Ocean after being lost at sea for 95 days, Peru’s state news agency Andina reported on Saturday.
Máximo Napa Castro, 61, departed on his fishing boat on December 7 from Marcona, a coastal town in southern Peru. However, severe weather caused him to drift off course and lose his way, according to Andina.
He was discovered on March 11 by an Ecuadorian fishing vessel in waters off northern Peru. He was in a critical state and severely dehydrated, the agency said.
In an emotional interview with local media after his rescue, Napa Castro shared that he survived by collecting rainwater to drink and consuming insects, birds, and a turtle.
He endured the last 15 days without food, Reuters reported.
Napa Castro said he held onto thoughts of his family to stay alive.
“I said I didn’t want to die for my mother. I had a granddaughter who is a few months old, I held on to her. Every day I thought of my mother,” he said.
His daughter, Inés Napa Torres, expressed gratitude to the Ecuadorian fishermen who saved him.
“Thank you, Ecuadorian brothers, for rescuing my dad Gatón, God bless you,” she wrote on Facebook.
For three months, his family and fellow fishermen searched for him. On March 3, his daughter posted, “Every day is anguish for the whole family… We will not lose hope, Dad, of finding you.”
After receiving medical care at Hospital Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border, Napa Castro was discharged on Saturday, Ecuavisa, a CNN affiliate, reported.
