Russian man lost in icy sea water found alive after 67 days; his brother & nephew die; WATCH dramatic rescue

By Shweta Kumari | First Published Oct 16, 2024, 3:17 PM IST

A Russian man, Mikhail Pichugin, endured an unimaginable 67 days adrift in the frigid, unforgiving waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, East Asia’s coldest sea. His harrowing journey claimed the lives of both his brother and 15-year-old nephew in a tale of survival, loss, and resilience.

Pichugin, along with his brother Sergei and nephew Ilya, embarked on their ill-fated voyage on August 9 from the Khabarovsk region in Russia’s Far East, intending to sail to the island of Sakhalin. Armed with little more than an inflatable boat, the family set off on what was meant to be a simple sea trip. What followed, however, was a relentless battle against nature and fate.

Tap to resize

Latest Videos

Tap to resize

Also read: Ukrainian man survives after Russian tank ran over his car (Watch)

A man has miraculously survived after drifting at sea for 67 days off the coast of Kamchatka, Russia. Rescued by a fishing vessel on October 14, he tragically lost his brother and 16-year-old nephew during the ordeal. Their boat had been adrift since August 9 due to engine… pic.twitter.com/wJuIsu7jIu

— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1)

The tragic saga came to light 67 days later when Pichugin was found by a fisherman, approximately 1,000 kilometers from where their journey had begun. The fisherman discovered Pichugin near the lifeless bodies of his relatives, still tied to the drifting boat.

In a chilling video released by authorities, Pichugin, visibly frail and shaken, utters in a whisper, “I don’t have much strength.” Yet, despite his weakened state, he managed to grasp the rope thrown to him by his rescuers, a final act of endurance after two months in the icy abyss.

Initial reports reveal that the group had set out with about 20 liters of water, and they sustained themselves on collected rainwater, dried noodles, and peas. Pichugin recounted the agonizing moments: his nephew, Ilya, perished in early September, and shortly after, his brother Sergei fell into the treacherous waters. Despite being pulled back aboard, Sergei succumbed soon after.

In a desperate bid to hold on to his loved ones, Pichugin tethered the bodies to the boat, using their life jackets in a haunting attempt to signal for help. The family, originally from Ulan-Ude in Siberia, had planned this sea voyage to witness the majesty of whales, a trip that turned into a nightmare.

Yekaterina, Pichugin’s wife, called his survival nothing short of “a kind of miracle,” sharing that the group had packed supplies only for a two-week trip. Pichugin, once weighing 100 kilograms, had shed half his body weight during the ordeal.

Authorities launched a search when the trio was first reported missing, suspecting that their boat had drifted toward the Kamchatka Peninsula. After his rescue, Pichugin was immediately rushed to a hospital in Magadan, where doctors described his condition as “more or less stable,” though they remained concerned about potential hypothermia.

Meanwhile, investigators have begun examining the inflatable boat to piece together the circumstances of this tragic event. A criminal investigation has also been launched to probe possible safety violations, and if found guilty, Pichugin could face a prison sentence of up to seven years.

This chilling saga echoes a similar case from 1960 when four Soviet soldiers survived 49 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean before being rescued by the US aircraft carrier Kearsarge, a testament to the extreme lengths humans can go to survive against the odds.

Also read: Man escaped after a close encounter with death: heart-stopping video goes viral

For more reliable and latest news