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Topics: Food and Drink, Health, Life, World News
Emily Brown
A fisherman who set off for what was supposed to be a two-week fishing trip late last year has miraculously been found after spending 95 days lost at sea.
Maximo Napa Castro, who is 61 years old, embarked on his journey from the coastal town of Marcona, on the southern Peruvian coast, on December 7 with plans to be home in time for the New Year.
The first week of Castro's trip went according to plan, but on his 10th day, he ran into a storm and his boat was blown off course.
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When he didn't return home as expected, Castro's family launched a search with the help of Peru's maritime patrols, but weeks passed with no sign of the fisherman.
It wasn't until March 12 that Castro was spotted by an Ecuadorian patrol vessel, which was sailing 680 miles from the coast.
After he was rescued, details of Castro's survival came to light, with the fisherman describing how he had attempted to keep himself hydrated by catching rainwater in his boat to drink.
The fisherman also attempted to catch creatures to keep himself sustained, and recalled eating cockroaches and birds before he later resorted to eating sea turtles.
In spite of his determination, Castro's last 15 days at sea were spent without food, and he was found to be dehydrated and in a critical condition by the time he was rescued.
Looking back, he has determined that it was thinking about his family, including his two-month-old granddaughter, which gave him the strength to endure his ordeal.
"I thought about my mother everyday. I'm thankful to God for giving me a second chance," he said.
Two days after he was rescued, Castro was reunited with his brother in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border, as he was taken for medical assessment.
After receiving his initial treatment, he was flown to the Peruvian capital of Lima and reunited with his daughter, Inés Napa, who welcomed him with a bottle of Peru's national drink, pisco.
Castro missed enjoying his birthday while he was lost at sea, so his family plan to have a delayed celebration now that he's back on dry land.
His niece, Leyla Torres Napa, told the Peruvian media agency RPP: "The day of his birth was unique because all that he could eat [while at sea] was a small cookie, so it is very important for us that we celebrate because, for us, he has been reborn."