A man has miraculously survived after spending 67 days adrift in a tiny inflatable boat in the stormy Sea of Okhotsk off Russia‘s Far East after he was spotted by fishermen.
Shocking footage showed the remarkable rescue of Mikhail Pichugin, 45, by Russian fishing vessel Angel.
The haggard and gaunt-looking man, who authorities said had lost 50 kilograms in body weight, was seen wrapped in blankets and a life vest aboard the minuscule vessel to which he had tied a little orange flag in a desperate bid to attract attention.
But two corpses lay alongside him – that of his elder brother Sergey Pichugin, 49, and his 15-year-old nephew Ilya.
The trio had embarked on a whale-watching expedition in their 15ft boat on August 9 when their engine failed and they began to drift further out to sea.
Experts have hailed Mikhail’s survival after more than two months on seas known for their storms and chilling temperatures as ‘beyond comprehension’.
The miraculous moment of the rescue of whale-watcher Mikhail Pichugin, 45, who was drifting in the open sea for 67 days
The haggard and gaunt-looking man, who authorities said had lost 50 kilograms in body weight, was seen wrapped in blankets and a life vest aboard the minuscule vessel
Experts have hailed Mikhail’s survival after more than two months on seas known for their storms and chilling temperatures as ‘beyond comprehension’
Mikhail Pichugin, 45, with his family including ex-wife Ekaterina, 38.
The relatives were on a return journey from the remote Shantar Islands, the waters of which are a feeding ground for whales, to Okha, on Russia’s largest island Sakhalin, when disaster struck.
They had on board warm clothes, life jackets, flares, a small supply of food and 20 litres of drinking water, expecting their journey to take several days.
But after the Baykat 470 M catamaran-type inflatable lost use of its Honda engine, the vessel drifted at least 625 miles over the course of more than two months.
Russian rescuers had looked for the trio to no avail and after a month evidently decided they were unlikely to survive in a sea known for its storms.
But Mikhail was ultimately found some 14 miles off the village of Ust-Khairyuzovo, on the Kamchatka peninsula by the Angel fishing vessel.
As the fishing boat approached, Mikhail was heard saying: ‘Strength is low’.
The crew set about casting out a rope to pull the survivor’s vessel close and eventually managed to haul him aboard.
‘When they said Misha [Mikhail] was alive, I thought we were waiting for a miracle, and it happened,’ his 38-year-old ex-wife Ekaterina Pichugina, with whom he shares a daughter, told KP-Irkutsk.
‘After 4am the captain of the ship on which Misha was being taken to Magadan called me. The captain says that Misha received medical assistance. His condition is satisfactory.
‘However, he lost 50kg, half his weight.’
MIkhail was described as a keen fisherman, but he has not yet told how he survived for so long.
Mikhail is seen calling for help as the fishing boat that rescued him approaches
Two corpses lay alongside him – that of his elder brother Sergey Pichugin, 49, and his 15-year-old nephew Ilya
Mikhail’s brother Sergei and nephew Ilya died on the boat
Local experts are astonished at his survival for some 67 days after going missing.
Dmitry Lisitsyn, head of Sakhalin Environment Watch, said: ‘There are two real miracles here.⠀
‘The first is that such a small, uncontrolled boat was not capsized in the stormy autumn Sea of Okhotsk after more than two months of drifting.
‘I can’t wrap my head around how this is possible.
‘The boat certainly went through several strong storms and remained afloat – this is something incredible.
‘The second is that someone on this boat survived. The fact that two people died – a father and son – is very sad, but not surprising.
‘But how the third person – their uncle and brother – could survive in the icy, stormy sea for more than two months is simply beyond comprehension. It truly is a miracle.’
He said: ‘For over 20 years, I have been travelling the Sea of Okhotsk on an inflatable motorboat, and I fully understand what this man went through.
‘But I cannot understand how he managed to survive.’
Mikhail Pichugin, 45
The fisherman may face the wrath of Russian prosecutors and a potential jail sentence of up to seven years despite his miraculous tale of survival
It is not known when Mikhail’s brother and nephew died, as authorities have yet to interview Mikhail.
But after he recovers, the fisherman may face the wrath of Russian prosecutors and a potential jail sentence of up to seven years despite his miraculous tale of survival.
His boat is deemed unsuitable in Russian law for venturing more than two nautical miles from the shore, and a criminal case has been opened into a potential violation of maritime safety laws.
The Russian Far Eastern Transport Prosecutor’s Office said: ‘The vessel was found in the waters of the Sea of Okhotsk off the village of Ust-Khayruzovo in the Kamchatka region.
‘Two people died, one survived, he is receiving medical assistance.’
The office confirmed a criminal case had been initiated, reported TASS.