A man of Dominican nationality has survive miraculously after almost a month floating at sea with just a little ketchup.
According to VNA correspondent in Central America and the Caribbean, Mr Elvis Francois has just been rescued by the Colombian navy after about 24 days adrift on a sailing ship in the Caribbean.
This 47-year-old man said he had no food, all he found on the boat was a bottle ketchupsome garlic powder and a few tablets Maggi . seasoning. To survive, he mixed it all with water.
In a video released by the Colombian navy, the man said he was repairing sailboats at the port on the island of Saint Martin.
Due to adverse weather conditions, Francois and his boat were swept out to sea last December without any knowledge of navigation.
The cell phone lost signal, Francois tried to control the train and use the equipment on board, but all to no avail.
For 24 days adrift without knowing where the shore is, all he could do was wait and wait in vain. With no one to talk to, not knowing where he was, not knowing what to do, Francois carved a distress signal on the hull and hoped for a miracle.
[Một người đàn ông Nhật Bản sống sót sau 22 giờ lênh đênh trên biển]
Francois had seen other boats passing by and tried to wave them, even light a fire on the boat to get attention, but no one saw him.
On January 15, he saw a light tourist plane pass by and he successfully used a mirror to reflect the sun to send a distress signal.
The pilot turned the plane around and then informed the Colombian navy to safely rescue Francois.
(VNA/Vietnam+)