Fisherman found alive after 95 days at sea; shares how he survived
Máximo Napa Castro, a 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman, has shared his incredible story of survival after being lost at sea for 95 days.
Castro had embarked on a fishing trip from Marcona, a coastal town in southern Peru, on December 7. He had packed enough food for a two-week trip, but his journey took an unexpected turn.
Just ten days into his trip, Castro’s boat was thrown off course by stormy weather, leaving him adrift in the vast Pacific Ocean.
Despite his family’s efforts to locate him, Peru’s maritime patrols were unable to find Castro. It wasn’t until last Wednesday that an Ecuadorian fishing patrol stumbled upon him, approximately 680 miles off the coast.
When Castro was finally rescued, he was heavily dehydrated and in critical condition.
In a tearful interview after reuniting with his brother in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border. , he said …
“I did not want to die
I ate roaches, and birds, the last thing I ate was turtles.”
According to Napa, he was able to sustain himself by collecting rainwater on his boat, but his food supply eventually ran out. In a harrowing ordeal, Napa was forced to go without food for the last 15 days of his 95-day journey, relying solely on rainwater for survival.
“I had a granddaughter who is a few months old, I held on to her. Every day I thought of my mother,
I’m thankful to God for giving me a second chance,” he said.
Elena Castro, Napa’s mother, revealed to local media that while her family had remained hopeful, she herself had started to lose faith, fearing the worst for her son’s fate.
She told TV Peru …
“I told the Lord, whether he’s alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it’s just to see him.
But my daughters never lost faith. They kept telling me: Mom, he’ll come back, he’ll come back”