A miraculous survival story has emerged from the Pacific Ocean, where a 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman, Máximo Napa Castro, was found alive after spending 95 days adrift at sea.
Napa had embarked on a routine fishing trip from Marcona, Peru, on December 7, but what began as a two-week journey quickly turned into a fight for survival.
Ten days into his trip, Napa’s boat was thrown off course by a fierce storm, and he became stranded in the vast Pacific Ocean.
With only enough food for a two-week trip, he was forced to survive on whatever he could find as days turned into weeks.
His family launched a desperate search for him, but despite their efforts, Peru’s maritime patrols were unable to locate him.
It wasn’t until March 12 that Napa was discovered 680 miles off the Peruvian coast by an Ecuadorian fishing patrol. By then, he was severely dehydrated and in critical condition, but still alive—a testament to his resilience and will to survive.
“I did not want to die,” Napa said tearfully in an interview after being reunited with his brother in Paita, near the Ecuadorian border. “Every day I thought of my family, especially my granddaughter. That kept me going.”
Napa managed to survive by collecting rainwater, but after his food ran out, he was forced to rely on whatever he could catch. In his darkest moments, he ate insects, birds, and even turtles.
“The last thing I ate was turtles,” Napa recalled. Despite the dire circumstances, he never gave up hope, drawing strength from thoughts of his family, especially his two-month-old granddaughter.
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His mother, Elena Castro, had begun to lose hope after weeks of no news. “I told the Lord, whether he’s alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it’s just to see him,” she said. “But my daughters never lost faith. They kept saying, ‘Mom, he’ll come back.'”
The family had been praying for a miracle, and one came in the form of the Ecuadorian fishermen who saved Napa’s life.
His daughter, Inés Napa Torres, expressed her gratitude in a Facebook post, thanking the fishermen for rescuing her father. “It is a miracle that my father has been found,” she wrote. “We, as a family, never gave up hope.”
After being rescued, Napa was taken to a hospital in Paita for medical treatment. He was later discharged in good physical condition, despite the trauma of his ordeal.
“He could walk, and wash himself. Shocked, but in good physical condition,” said a Peruvian navy port captain.
Máximo Napa’s incredible survival story is not only a testament to his strength but also to the power of hope and family. After being lost at sea for over three months, he has been given a second chance at life.
