Russian fishermen rescued a man named Mikhail Pichugin who spent nearly 70 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, after setting sail with his brother Sergei and nephew Ilya from Russia’s Khabarovsk region in early August. The Khabarovsk region is located on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk. The group went whale watching on the Shantar islands off the coast on Aug. 4, but failed to return by Aug. 9 as planned. A search and rescue operation was launched but the boat could not be found.
Pichugin was found on the opposite side of the Sea of Okhotsk, off the coast of the Kamchatka peninsula, by a fishing boat on Monday. Kamchatka is over 1,000 kilometers east of the Shantar Islands where the group was last seen. Pichugin, 46, lost 50 kilograms while adrift at sea and was hospitalized in the Magadan region after being rescued. His brother, Sergei, 49, and nephew, Ilya, 15, were found dead on the rubber boat Pichugin was adrift on for over two months. Law enforcement authorities in Russia’s Far East launched an investigation into safety violations contributing to the deaths.
Videos shared by authorities showed the moment the fishermen approached Pichugin on his rubber boat, one of the videos appeared to blur out at least one body on the small boat. The man was found around 23 kilometers off the coast of Kamchatka, where he had been adrift for nearly 70 days following the deaths of his brother and nephew. Pichugin survived the ordeal but suffered a significant weight loss during the time he was lost at sea, and is currently being treated in a hospital in the Magadan region after being rescued.
Authorities in Far East Russia stated that two people died and one survived the disastrous trip, and they are now investigating safety violations that may have contributed to the tragedy. The two deceased victims, Sergei and Ilya, were found on board the rubber boat alongside Pichugin, who was the lone survivor. The group had gone whale watching on the Shantar islands before they disappeared, with the search and rescue operation failing to locate the boat despite efforts to track it down in the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
The family of the three men reported them missing when they failed to return as scheduled, prompting a search that ultimately resulted in only one survivor being found. Pichugin lost a significant amount of weight during his time adrift and is currently undergoing treatment for his ordeal. The tragic incident has raised questions about safety measures and regulations in place for such trips, as authorities investigate the circumstances that led to the deaths of Sergei and Ilya. The miraculous survival of Pichugin after such a harrowing experience at sea has captured the attention of the public and highlighted the dangers of maritime activities without proper precautions.
