Russian man reveals how he lived off noodles and peas adrift on tiny boat for 67 days
Mikhail Pichugin’s brother and nephew died and he tied their bodies to the boat to prevent them from being washed away.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A man rescued after 67 days adrift in a small inflatable boat has revealed how he stayed alive at sea.
Mikhail Pichugin, 46, had set off to watch whales with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew. But the boat’s engine shut down on their way back on August 9.
The Russian man was in the Sea of Okhotsk and described on Wednesday how he survived by battling shivering cold and drinking rain water.
Initial efforts by emergency services to locate the trio failed. Pichugin’s brother and nephew later died, and he tied their bodies to the boat to prevent them from being washed away.
A fishing vessel spotted the boat this week and rescued Pichugin about 11 nautical miles off Kamchatka, about 1,000 kilometers (about 540 nautical miles) from its departure point.
A map of the Sea of Okhotsk:
Speaking to reporters Wednesday from his hospital bed, Pichugin described how the boat's engine broke down and then one of the oars broke, making the boat uncontrollable.
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 a power bank ran out. They tried unsuccessfully to attract rescuers' attention using the few flares they had.
“A helicopter flew past close, than another one after three days, but they were useless,” Pichugin said in comments broadcast by Russian state television.
He said they collected rain water and struggled to get warm on the sea off eastern Russia.
“There was a sleeping bag with camel wool, it was wet and didn't dry,” he said. "You crawl under it, wiggle a little and get warm.”
They had a limited stockpile of noodles and peas and tried to catch some fish.
Russian media quoted Pichugin as saying his nephew died of hypothermia and hunger in September. His brother started behaving erratically and tried at one point to jump off the boat.
Pichugin said he survived “thanks to God's help," adding softly that “I simply had no choice, I had my mother and my daughter left at home.”
Doctors at the Magadan hospital said he was suffering from dehydration and hypothermia but in stable condition.