Adrift for 55 days: Peruvian fishermen rescued in Pacific
Five fishermen from the Peruvian boat "Mi Juanita" were rescued after 55 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Ecuadorian authorities reported that the men were found within the country's territorial waters.
What you need to know
- Where and when did the event occur? The fishermen went missing in March in the Pacific Ocean. They were located within Ecuador's territorial waters.
- Who was rescued? The rescued fishermen are four Peruvians and one Colombian, all crew members of the "Mi Juanita" boat.
- What led to their disappearance? The last message from the fishermen reported an engine failure, sent three days after they departed from the port of Pucusana.
How did the fishermen survive at sea?
Five crew members of the Peruvian boat "Mi Juanita" were rescued after 55 days of adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Ecuadorian authorities reported that the men were found in the country's territorial waters. The boat went missing in March, with the last message from the crew reporting an engine failure, reported the Peruvian daily "El Comercio."
When the boat was discovered, the fishermen were using makeshift sails. Four Peruvians and one Colombian were aboard. It remains unclear how the crew survived such a long time at sea without access to food and water.
The men were discovered by the crew of the vessel Aldo, which was tuna fishing at sea. FNCPA del Ecuador (National Federation of Ecuadorian Fishing Cooperatives) expressed gratitude to the fishermen of the Aldo and the management and captaincy of the Galapagos.
Why are the families of the fishermen criticising the Peruvian authorities?
The families of the missing fishermen have criticised the Peruvian authorities for their lack of action in the search efforts. Since March, the families have conducted numerous independent searches along the Peruvian coastline. They remained hopeful of finding their loved ones.
