Fisherman survives 95 days lost at sea eating cockroaches, turtles

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Craig Nigrelli Anchor

By Craig Nigrelli (Anchor), William Jackson (Producer), Kaleb Gillespie (Video Editor)

Peruvian fisherman Maximo Napa, 61, survived 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean after a storm pushed his boat off course. He relied on rainwater and resourcefulness to stay alive.
A storm pushed Napa’s boat 700 miles into the Pacific, leaving him stranded.
An Ecuadorian fishing vessel facilitated Napa’s rescue, and he is now recovering with his family.

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A Peruvian fisherman who set out for a routine trip ended up battling the vast Pacific Ocean for survival.

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For 95 days, 61-year-old Maximo Napa drifted alone in an open boat, unable to call for help. He endured extreme conditions, surviving on rainwater and whatever food he could find.

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How did Napa become stranded at sea?

Napa left the port of San Juan de Marcona on Dec. 7, 2024, for what was supposed to be a routine fishing expedition.

Ten days in, stormy weather pushed his small boat off course, sending him nearly 700 miles into the Pacific.

Without a radio beacon, he had no way to communicate his location.

What did Napa do to stay alive?

With no supplies left, Napa relied on resourcefulness to survive. He collected rainwater for drinking and caught what he could, eating cockroaches, birds and sea turtles.

As food became scarce, he spent 15 days without eating, surviving on determination and thoughts of his family.

“I didn’t want to die,” he told reporters after his rescue. “I have a two-month-old granddaughter — I clung to that. Every day, I thought about my mother.”

Who rescued Napa?

On March 12, an Ecuadorian fishing vessel spotted Napa’s boat and alerted Peruvian authorities.

Rescuers found him severely dehydrated but able to walk and speak.

Peruvian Navy officials described his condition as stable despite the months-long ordeal.

How did Napa’s family react?

Napa reunited with his family in Paita, near the border with Ecuador. His daughter called his survival a miracle, while his mother admitted she had started to lose hope but continued to pray daily for his return.

The family planned to celebrate his birthday, which passed while he was lost at sea.

“For us, he has been reborn,” she said.

What happens next for Napa?

Napa left the hospital over the weekend and will travel to Lima for further medical evaluation.

His story adds to a growing list of extreme survival cases.

In 2024, a Russian man spent two months adrift in freezing waters off Russia’s coast. In 2023, an Australian sailor and his dog endured weeks stranded in the Pacific.

Tags: Navy, Pacific Ocean, South America

[CRAIG NIGRELLI]

A PERUVIAN FISHERMAN SET OUT FOR A ROUTINE FISHING TRIP BUT ENDED UP STRANDED IN THE PACIFIC FOR 95 DAYS. WITH NO WAY TO CALL FOR HELP, HE DRIFTED ALONE IN AN OPEN BOAT, RELYING ON WHATEVER HE COULD FIND TO SURVIVE.

SIXTY-ONE-YEAR-OLD MAXIMO NAPA LEFT SAN JUAN DE MARCONA ON DECEMBER 7 FOR WHAT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE A SHORT TRIP. TEN DAYS IN, STORMY WEATHER PUSHED HIS SMALL BOAT OFF COURSE, LEAVING HIM NEARLY 700 MILES INTO THE PACIFIC OCEAN. WITH NO RADIO BEACON, HE DRIFTED FOR MORE THAN THREE MONTHS.

HIS FAMILY HOPED FOR HIS RETURN, BUT PERU’S MARITIME PATROLS WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE HIM. HE COLLECTED RAINWATER TO DRINK AND ATE WHATEVER HE COULD CATCH—COCKROACHES, BIRDS, AND SEA TURTLES. WHEN FOOD RAN OUT, HE WENT 15 DAYS WITHOUT EATING.

AN ECUADORIAN FISHING VESSEL SPOTTED HIS BOAT LAST WEEK AND ALERTED PERUVIAN AUTHORITIES. RESCUERS FOUND HIM SEVERELY DEHYDRATED BUT ABLE TO WALK AND SPEAK. PERUVIAN NAVY OFFICIALS DESCRIBED HIS CONDITION AS STABLE DESPITE HIS ORDEAL.

HIS DAUGHTER CALLED HIS SURVIVAL A MIRACLE, WHILE HIS MOTHER ADMITTED SHE HAD STARTED TO LOSE HOPE BUT PRAYED DAILY FOR HIS RETURN. HIS NIECE SAID THE FAMILY WOULD NOW CELEBRATE HIS BIRTHDAY, WHICH PASSED WHILE HE WAS LOST AT SEA.

NAPA LEFT A HOSPITAL OVER THE WEEKEND AND WILL TRAVEL TO LIMA FOR FURTHER MEDICAL EVALUATION. HIS STORY JOINS A GROWING LIST OF EXTREME SURVIVAL CASES. LAST YEAR, A RUSSIAN MAN SPENT TWO MONTHS ADRIFT IN FREEZING WATERS OFF RUSSIA’S COAST. IN 2023, AN AUSTRALIAN SAILOR AND HIS DOG ENDURED WEEKS STRANDED IN THE PACIFIC.

AFTER MONTHS LOST AT SEA, NAPA NOW FACES A LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY.

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