MOSCOW.- A castaway was rescued after two months adrift in the sea of Ojotsk.
The 46-year-old man was in a small inflatable boat that lost its engine when it was spotted by a fishing boat.
According to authorities, Mikhail Pichugin He set sail to see whales accompanied by his brother and nephew, who lost their lives.
Russian shipwrecked man rescued after months adrift
On Monday, October 14, Pichugin was rescued by a fishing boat near the peninsula de Kamchatka after spending 67 days adrift.
With his brother Sergey 49 years old and his nephew 15 year old Ilya aged, set sail to search for whales in the Sea of Okhotsk in early August.
The family headed to the islas shantaron the northwest coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, but disappeared while returning to Sakhalin on August 9.
Although a search and rescue operation was carried out, they were not located.
According to the Russian report, at the time of their disappearance they had a small ration of food and 20 liters of water in the boat.
Because the engine failed, the brothers and the teenager were left adrift.
Mikhail Pichugin traveled with the bodies of his brother and nephew
After two months adrift, Pichugin weighed just 50 kilograms when he was rescued.
Initially the fishermen thought it was a buoy, but when they turned on their lights and heard the cries for help they realized that it was a boat with survivors.
In a video published by the Russian prosecutor’s office The castaway is seen wearing an extremely thin life jacket: “I have no strength left,” he said when he was rescued.
#DYinforma🚨 A Russian castaway who was adrift for two months on an inflatable raft is rescued: after 67 days at sea, the survivor weighed just 50 kilos. pic.twitter.com/VZCxBbSrAd
— (@DiariodeYucatan) October 15, 2024
Pichugin was the only one of the three missing people to be found alive. The bodies of his brother and nephew were in the boat.
So far it has not been revealed how it was possible for the Russian man to survive two months in the East Asian sea, known for its storms.
The circumstances of the death of his relatives are also unknown.
Mikhail Pichugin was rescued off the coast of Kamchatka – he had been drifting on a boat in the Sea of Okhotsk for 67 days. His brother and 15-year-old nephew were with him. They died. Read more about the shocking story – pic.twitter.com/Ntu2WWCTD3
— News from 66.RU (@66ru) October 15, 2024
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**Interview with Mikhail Pichugin, the Castaway Rescued After 67 Days at Sea**
**Editor:** Thank you for joining us today, Mikhail. Your story is both harrowing and remarkable. Can you begin by telling us what happened on that day in August when you set sail with your brother and nephew?
**Mikhail Pichugin:** Thank you for having me. That day was filled with excitement; we intended to see the whales. We left with high hopes, and the sea was calm as we headed toward the Shantar Islands. But everything changed so quickly. On August 9, during our return to Sakhalin, the engine failed, and we were left adrift.
**Editor:** That must have been terrifying. During those two months at sea, how did you manage to survive?
**Mikhail Pichugin:** It was incredibly challenging. We had a small amount of food and only 20 liters of water. After a few days, our supplies ran low. What kept me going was the hope of rescue, but it was hard to stay optimistic. I still think about my brother Sergey and my nephew Ilya. I lost them during that time.
**Editor:** I can only imagine the emotional toll that must have taken. Can you share how you felt when you were finally spotted and rescued by the fishermen?
**Mikhail Pichugin:** When I heard their voices and saw the lights of their boat, I thought I was dreaming. I couldn’t believe someone had found me. I had no strength left and was just grateful to be alive. It was an overwhelming sense of relief mixed with sadness for my family.
**Editor:** Those must have been incredibly tough moments. You were reportedly extremely weakened by the time you were rescued. Can you tell us what your physical condition was like when help arrived?
**Mikhail Pichugin:** I had lost a lot of weight—down to 50 kilograms. I was exhausted and barely able to communicate. The fishermen initially thought I was just a buoy before they realized I needed help.
**Editor:** Have you had a chance to process everything that happened, and what does the future look like for you now?
**Mikhail Pichugin:** I’m still trying to come to terms with the loss of my brother and nephew. It’s difficult. As for the future, I’m grateful to be alive, and I want to honor their memory. I hope to speak about awareness and safety at sea so that other families don’t have to go through this.
**Editor:** Thank you for sharing your story, Mikhail. It’s a poignant reminder of the unpredictability of the sea and the resilience of the human spirit.
**Mikhail Pichugin:** Thank you for listening.
