A Russian man has survived a staggering 67 days afloat in the frigid Sea of Okhotsk off the coast of northeast Russia.
Mikhail Pichugin, 46, was on a whale watching expedition with his brother Sergey, 49, and nephew Ilya, 15, aboard their inflatable catamaran when engine trouble left them adrift. They were headed from the Shantar Islands to Okha, on Russia’s largest island, Sakhalin.
After attempting to return to shore using oars, one of them broke, rendering the boat uncontrollable in the heavy seas.
Sadly, both Sergey and Ilya passed away during the ordeal.
Mikhail was discovered by a Russian fishing vessel named Angel on October 14th. The bodies of his brother and nephew were found beside him.
He was found approximately 14 miles (22 km) off the Kamchatka Peninsula near the village of Ust-Khayryuzovo. He had drifted over 620 miles (1000 km) to the northeast.
According to the BBC, Pichugin's wife told the news outlet that they had packed supplies for two weeks, including 20 liters of water.
She also told the Russian news outlet Novosti that Mikhail's weight may have been a factor in his survival. When he left around August 8th he weighed roughly 100 kg (220 lbs). He reportedly weighed half that amount when he was rescued.
"We don't know anything yet. We just know that he's alive... It's some kind of miracle!" she told the Novosti.
After the men were reported missing in mid-August, search teams worked extensively to try and locate the trio. Ships and boats, both commercial and recreational, as well as a helicopter, spent days searching the area.
In a video taken by one of the crew aboard the Angel, when Mikhail was found he did not have the strength to help pull his boat alongside the ship.
"I have no strength left," he says.
After the deaths of his brother and nephew, Pichugin reportedly tied their bodies to the boat so they wouldn't be knocked overboard by the wind or waves. Russian media quoted Pichugin saying that he believed his nephew died of hypothermia and hunger in September. His also said at one point his brother started behaving erratically and tried to jump off the boat.
According to The Guardian, Pichugin and his brother attempted to make contact using a phone, but the area had no network coverage. The brothers used the phone for geolocation for a week until the battery and a power bank ran dry. They also tried to attract rescuers’ attention using the few flares they kept onboard.
From his hospital bed in Magadan, Pichugin told a Russian news agency how close they had come to rescue early in the search.
“A helicopter flew past close, then another one after three days, but they were useless,” Pichugin said in a video broadcast by Russian state television.
Pichugin is currently recuperating from hypothermia and extreme dehydration. Doctors expect him to remain there for several weeks.
He said he survived “thanks to God’s help,” adding that he “simply had no choice, I had my mother and my daughter left at home."
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