“He has been reborn”: Lost the fisherman at sea wanders on the sea for 95 days to reunite with his family – Country
After nearly 100 days of wandering, a 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman was rescued from the Pacific Ocean and survived the rain and cleaned up food.
On December 7, Maximo Napa Castro took a two-week solo fishing trip from Marcona, a small town on the southern coast of Peru. About 10 days, strong winds blew away his ship, leaving him alone with limited supply.
After he failed to return, Castro's family reminded the Peruvian Coast Guard that he was missing, but authorities were unable to find him. According to the BBC, an Ecuadorian patrol boat finally found Castro about 1,094 kilometers from the coast on Wednesday.
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Castro was reunited with his brothers on Friday in Paita, northwestern Peru, a small town about 400 kilometers from the Ecuadorian border.
He said he survived by drinking rainwater and consuming everything he captured from the ocean.
After he returned safely, Castro told reporters that he did not want to die and that the thoughts of his family, including his mother, gave him strength.
“That was 95 days. I ate cockroaches, birds, the last thing I ate was sea turtles,” he said. “I have a two-month-old granddaughter. I hold her.”
After speaking to the press, Castro received medical treatment in Peta and was taken to Lima, the capital of Peru, where he was reunited with his daughter at Jorge Chávez International Airport, who arrived with a bottle of Peru's national drink, Pisco.
His niece, Leyla Torres Napa, said the family is looking forward to celebrating Castro's birthday, who passed away at sea.
“The day he was born was unique because everything he could eat [while at sea] It's a little cookie, so it's very important for us to celebrate because for us, he's reborn. ” she told the news media.
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