Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea arrive in the Galapagos Islands after rescue

Government handout picture exhibits 5 shipwrecked fishermen sporting lifejackets, who had been rescued by an Ecuadorian tuna fishing boat after being adrift for greater than 50 days, at the San Cristobal Naval Base, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador (AP picture)(*55*)

QUITO: Five fishermen who spent 55 days adrift at sea arrived Saturday at a port in the Galapagos Islands after being rescued by a tuna boat, the Ecuadorian navy stated on X. The three Peruvians and two Colombians had been lacking since mid-March and had been discovered on May 7 by an Ecuadorian boat referred to as Aldo. The fishermen had reported injury to the boat’s alternator two days after setting sail from Pucusana Bay, to the south of Peru’s capital Lima, the navy stated in a separate submit on Friday. The failure induced communication and navigation instruments to malfunction, Ecuadorian navy Frigate Capt. Maria Fares informed The Associated Press, including that that they had no energy on the boat. “They had no starter, lights and everything that a battery generates,” she stated. To survive, they needed to “take rusted water out of the engine (and) when a fish passed by, they caught it and parboiled it to eat.” Fares added that in addition they drank rain and sea water to outlive. The males are in steady situation and the navy stated it’s coordinating with native and overseas authorities to make sure their protected return to their respective nations. Earlier this yr, one other Peruvian fisherman, 61-year-old Maximo Napa, spent 95 days at sea alone. He was additionally rescued by an Ecuadorian vessel and returned to Lima in mid-March to be reunited together with his household.