How a Peruvian fisherman survived 95 days at sea on birds and cockroaches

A Peruvian fisherman, Maximo Napa, has defied extraordinary odds, surviving for 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean after his boat was thrown off course by a storm.

His survival instincts helped him endure extreme conditions, sustaining himself on rainwater, cockroaches, birds and sea turtles. His rescue was made possible by Ecuadorian fishermen.

The ordeal began on December 7, when Napa set off from Marcona, a coastal town in southern Peru, for what was meant to be a two-week fishing trip.

Ten days into his voyage, however, severe weather caused his small boat to drift uncontrollably into the open ocean. With no radio beacon or communication equipment onboard, Napa lost contact with the mainland and found himself stranded at sea.

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Three months of survival against the odds

After realising he was stranded, Napa faced the grim reality of limited supplies. The food he had packed quickly ran out, forcing him to rely on unconventional sources of nourishment. He caught and ate cockroaches, birds and eventually sea turtles to stay alive.

Rainwater provided his only source of hydration, and as conditions worsened, he spent the last 15 days before his rescue without any food. "I did not want to die," Napa told Reuters after his rescue. "I ate roaches, birds, the last thing I ate was turtles."

Peruvian fisherman Maximo Napa, who spent 95 days lost in the Pacific Ocean before being rescued by an Ecuadorian fishing patrol, reunites with his brother after being rescued in Paita, Peru, March 14, 2025 in this screen grab taken from handout video. La Republica via Reuters

He drew strength from thoughts of his family, especially his two-month-old granddaughter, and his mother. "I thought about my mother every day," he said. "I'm thankful to God for giving me a second chance."

His mother, Elena Castro, revealed that while she had started to lose hope, her family never stopped believing in his return. "I told the Lord, whether he's alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it's just to see him," she told TV Peru. "But my daughters never lost faith. They kept telling me: Mom, he'll come back, he'll come back."

His daughter, Inés Napa Torres, expressed her relief and gratitude in a Facebook post, thanking the Ecuadorian fishermen who found her father. "Thank you, Ecuadorian brothers, for saving my father. I hope God's blessing will be with you," she wrote.

Search efforts for Napa & rescue

Napa’s family and local fishermen had been searching for him for three months, launching multiple efforts to locate his missing boat. However, Peru’s maritime patrols were unable to track him down.

His boat, lacking a radio beacon or GPS, had drifted over 1,094 kilometres (680 miles) from the Peruvian coast. It was only on March 11 that an Ecuadorian fishing boat spotted him in distress and brought him to safety.

Upon rescue, he was found severely dehydrated and in critical condition. The Ecuadorian fishermen immediately provided aid and transported him to Paita, a coastal city near Peru’s northern border with Ecuador, where he received medical attention.

"It is a miracle that my father has been found," said his daughter Inés Napa in an interview with RPP radio. "We, as a family, never gave up hope of finding him."

Napa's recovery and return home

After arriving in Paita, Napa was taken to the Hospital Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes for medical evaluation. Despite suffering from dehydration and severe exhaustion, he showed remarkable resilience.

“Mr. Napa arrived in good physical condition. He could walk, wash himself. Shocked, but in good physical condition,” said Peruvian navy port captain Jorge González.

He was discharged from the hospital four days later and reunited with his family in a homecoming. His relatives and friends celebrated his return, organising a welcome party in his hometown.

The science of surviving at sea

Napa’s incredible survival is reminiscent of past cases where individuals have endured weeks or even months adrift in the ocean. Surviving in such conditions is a battle against dehydration, starvation, and exposure to the elements.

Speaking to National Geographic, Dr. Claude Piantadosi, a professor of medicine at Duke University, has explained that most turtles, birds, and fish found offshore are safe to eat raw, providing essential nutrients. This knowledge likely played a key role in Napa’s ability to sustain himself.

However, dehydration remains the greatest threat. Without freshwater, the human body can typically only survive for a few days. Napa’s ability to collect and drink rainwater significantly improved his chances of survival.

His ordeal echoes the case of Jose Salvador Alvarenga, a fisherman who survived 13 months adrift in the Pacific in 2014, covering 8,000 kilometres (5,000 miles) before being rescued in the Marshall Islands. Alvarenga also lived off rainwater, birds and fish.

Now safely back with his family, Napa sees his survival as nothing short of a miracle.

“I said I didn’t want to die for my mother. I had a granddaughter who is a few months old, I held on to her. Every day I thought of my mother,” he said.

With inputs from agencies