After 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman Máximo Napa Castro was discharged from the hospital and reunited with his family, according to La República. Castro, who showed signs of dehydration and starvation when he was found, left the hospital in Paita on Saturday after receiving medical treatment.
According to La República, the fisherman arrived at Jorge Chávez International Airport, where he reunited with his family amid emotional scenes. "I love the sea and I will continue fishing," Castro declared to the press, stating that fishing is his only source of income.
Throughout his drift, Castro thought of his family, especially his mother and two-month-old granddaughter, which helped him persevere, according to El Tiempo. "I didn't want to die for my mother. Every day I thought of her. And of my granddaughter, who is a few months old," Castro told the media.
To survive during his ordeal, Castro resorted to eating cockroaches, birds, and even a turtle. "I've eaten birds, turtles to live, even cockroaches," he said, according to La República. He collected rainwater to drink when it rained and managed to stay somewhat stable with it.
Ten days into his fishing expedition, the engine of Castro's boat broke down, causing him to lose direction and communication with his family, according to La República. He had set sail on December 7 from the port of San Juan de Marcona, taking provisions for a month, as was usual for his fishing expeditions.
After Castro went missing, his family and several fishing groups searched for him tirelessly for over three months, imploring the authorities to search for him in the ocean. "It's a miracle that my father was found. We, as a family, never lost hope of finding him," said his daughter, Inés Napa Torres, according to La Stampa.
On February 11, Castro was discovered by an Ecuadorian fishing vessel about 1,094 kilometers from the coast after being missing for 94 days, according to Observador. "Thank you, God. How much I have suffered. I have eaten nothing and drunk no water. To survive, I fed on birds and turtles. I didn't want to lose my family. I still had a chance. I didn't want to die. I ate cockroaches. My mother is alive and my two-month-old granddaughter. I held on to that," he said upon being rescued.
When he was found, Castro was suffering from severe dehydration and was in critical condition. He was transferred to an Ecuadorian navy ship and taken to Guayaquil, Ecuador, where he received medical care.
According to El Tiempo, during the first days at sea, he survived on the provisions he had brought, including a bag of rice, which he rationed to last several days. He cooked the rice with pieces of wood from the boat, which he tore off to make a fire.
La República reported that in his most difficult moments, the thought of his mother and the hope of meeting his granddaughter, who had been born during his journey, became his main motivations. Despite the dramatic experience, Castro assured that he will continue his work as a fisherman.
Castro, who has been a fisherman since he was 13 years old, asked the President of the Republic and the Ministry of Production to facilitate access to emergency beacons, which are devices that emit real-time location signals. "Many fishermen don't have them because they are very expensive, but they could save lives," he explained, according to La República.
Castro tearfully recounted how he survived by drinking rainwater he collected on the boat and expressed gratitude to the crew of the fishing boat that rescued him.
"We never imagined we would go through this... But we will not lose hope, Dad," wrote his daughter, Inés, on social media, according to El Tiempo.
The article was written with the assistance of a news analysis system.