A Russian man has been rescued after an incredible 67 days adrift in a small inflatable boat in the Sea of Okhotsk, located in eastern Russia.
The 46-year-old man, identified by Russian media as Mikhail Pichugin, was located by the crew of a fishing boat nearly 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from his departure point in early August. Tragically, the remains of his brother and 15-year-old nephew were discovered in the boat.
Pichugin’s wife reported that the trio had set out to watch whales, bringing food supplies for what they expected to be a two-week excursion. She expressed disbelief at her husband’s survival, stating, “We don’t know anything yet. We just know that he’s alive… It’s some kind of miracle!”
She also revealed that their daughter was supposed to join the trip but opted to stay home instead.
After reports of their disappearance, a helicopter search was launched, but it yielded no results.
The ill-fated boat was found floating on Monday near the Kamchatka Peninsula in the Sea of Okhotsk, where a bearded man in a life jacket was seen pleading for help, stating, “I have no strength left,” as he was brought to safety, according to a video shared by the prosecutor’s office.
Pichugin, whose weight dropped from 100 kg (15 st 10 lb) at the start of the journey to around half that by the time he was rescued, was being treated in hospital, where doctors described his condition as “more or less stable.”
Experts surmised that a supply of fish may have contributed to Pichugin’s ability to survive for such an extended period. Nikolai Sukhanov, from the Russian seafarers’ union, suggested that capturing fish could have helped sustain him while he rationed the remaining provisions on the boat.
In light of this tragic incident, prosecutors have initiated a criminal investigation, which includes inspecting the boat and determining the circumstances surrounding the ordeal.
Historically, there have been instances of castaways surviving for long periods at sea; an expert noted that four Soviet soldiers survived 49 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean in 1960 before being rescued by a U.S. aircraft carrier.
Credit: BBC News
