A Russian man redeemed after 67 days on a small inflatable boat in the Sea of Okhotsk described Wednesday how he survived by fighting the shivering cold and drinking rainwater.
Mikhail Pichugin, 46, went whale watching with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew. But the boat’s engine stopped when they returned in Aug. 9.
The first efforts of the emergency services to find the three were unsuccessful. Pichugin’s brother and nephew later died, and he tied their bodies to the boat so they wouldn’t be swept away.
A fishing vessel spotted the boat this week and rescued the Pichugin about 11 miles from Kamchatka and 540 nautical miles from its departure point.
“A boat called Angel saved me,” he said with a smile, referring to the name of the fishing boat whose crew saw him.
RU-RTR Russian Television via AP
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday from his hospital bed, Pichugin explained how the boat’s engine broke and one of the rudders broke causing the boat to lose control.
The phone on board was useless as there was no network coverage, but the trio used it for geolocation for a week until the phone battery and power bank ran out. They tried but failed to attract rescuers using the few flames they had.
“A helicopter flew by, there was another three days later, but it was useless,” Pichugin said in remarks broadcast by Russian state television.
He said they collect rainwater and struggle to keep warm in the sea east of Russia.
“There was a sleeping bag with camel hair, it was wet but not dry,” he said. “Crawl under it, wiggle a little and get warm.”
They had lots of noodles and peas and tried to catch fish.
Russian media quoted Pichugin as saying his nephew died of hypothermia and starvation in September. His brother started behaving inappropriately and at one point tried to jump overboard.
Pichugin said he survived “because of God’s help,” adding that “I had no choice, I left my mother and daughter at home.”
Doctors at the Magadan hospital said he was dehydrated and hypothermic but in a satisfactory condition.
Deputy Governor of Magadan Tatiana Savchenko said her condition is “satisfactory.”
He said the administration will pay for Pichugin to fly home with visiting relatives.
Pichugin is from Ulan-Ude in Siberia but worked on the far eastern island of Sakhalin as a driver.
His wife Yekaterina told RIA Novosti: “It’s a miracle.” He said the men only took enough food and water to last two weeks.
Russian Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office/Handout via REUTERS
Transportation investigators have launched an investigation into the safety violations, raising the possibility that Pichugin could face criminal charges and face up to seven years in prison.
Russian television reported that the men had to pick up a satellite phone, the only means of communication in the Sea of Okhotsk.
Last year, an Australian sailor said survived for more than two months he got lost at sea with his dog. Tim Shaddock, 51, and his dog Bella were sailing from Mexico to French Polynesia when rough seas damaged their boat and its electronics, leaving them stranded.
AFP contributed to this report.
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