The rescue of 5 people, including 2 children, after they spent nearly 3 months drifting across the Pacific Ocean has once again drawn attention to extraordinary stories of survival at sea.
The US Coast Guard in Guam said the boat, carrying 9 people, had been reported missing after it failed to return to Ruo Island in Micronesia on July 30. A 10-day search covering 85,700 sq km was launched, but the missing boat and its occupants could not initially be located. 5 of the 9 people have since been rescued, while 4 remain missing. Alvarenga said he had spent approximately 13 months at sea, covering nearly 8,000 km in a small fibreglass fishing boat, according to a report by the BBC. His ordeal began in December 2012 when he set out on a fishing trip from Mexico and was caught in a storm that pushed his boat off course. Deborah Kiley : In 1982, American sailor Deborah Kiley and another crew member survived 5 days on a life raft after their boat was caught in a storm off the US coast. Steven Callahan : American adventurer Steven Callahan survived 76 days alone in an inflatable life raft in the Atlantic Ocean in 1982 after a whale reportedly rammed his sailing vessel, causing it to sink. He described his adventure in the best-selling book Adrift: 76 Days Lost At Sea (1986) and gave advice in the making of the film Life of Pi.
His fellow fisherman, Ezequiel Cordoba, died during the ordeal. Kiley’s experience later inspired the film Two Came Back, which depicted the terrifying struggle for survival. He managed to survive by catching fish and collecting rainwater while drifting across the ocean.
Alvarenga said that he stayed alive by drinking urine, rainwater and the blood of birds.
