Russian fishermen rescued a man who spent nearly 70 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, law enforcement authorities in Far East Russia said Tuesday, adding that the man’s brother and nephew died at sea.
Mikhail Pichugin set sail with his brother Sergei and nephew Ilya from Russia’s Khabarovsk region in early August. The Khabarovsk region, located around 6,000 kilometers (3,728 miles) east of Moscow, lies on the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Russian media reports, citing the man’s family, said the group went whale watching on the Shantar islands off the coast of the Khabarovsk region on Aug. 4 and was due to return on Aug. 9.
When the group failed to return from their trip, a search and rescue operation was launched, but rescuers could not find the boat they set sailed on, according to family members’ comments to the media.
A fishing boat found Pichugin late Monday on the opposite side of the Sea of Okhotsk, around 23 kilometers (12 miles) off the coast of the Kamchatka peninsula, according to the Baza Telegram channel.
Kamchatka is more than 1,000 kilometers (621 miles) east of the Shantar Islands, where Pichugin’s family said the group of three was last seen.
According to Baza, which has links to Russian law enforcement, Pichugin, 46, lost 50 kilograms (110 pounds) while adrift at sea and was hospitalized in the neighboring Magadan region after being rescued.
Baza said the bodies of his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew were on board the rubber boat Pichugin drifted on for more than two months.
“Two people died, one survived and is being treated,” law enforcement authorities in Russia’s Far East said in a statement.
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 board the small boat.
Law enforcement authorities launched an investigation into safety violations resulting in the death of two or more people.