Shipwrecked Man Adrift for 16 Months Makes It to Shore

A man who was adrift at sea in a 24-foot fiberglass boat for 16 months has finally made it to shore.

A man who was adrift at sea in a 24-foot fiberglass boat for 16 months has finally made it to shore.

The details surrounding how he came to be stranded are cloudy, but it’s been said his journey originated in Mexico.

From there, it’s believed he travelled as much as 8 thousand miles before finally ending up on the reef of a remote atoll in the Pacific Ocean.

For survival he ate fish and birds and drank turtle blood. As no fishing equipment was found on the boat, it’s likely he caught them by hand.

When he was discovered, he was emaciated, bearded and wearing only a pair of badly ripped underwear.

He’s been examined since and doesn’t appear to have any life-threatening diseases or health issues.

In speaking with the castaway, it was learned that his name is Jose Ivan and he and a companion were originally headed to Salvador.

The person he was travelling with unfortunately did not survive.

At present, he’s in a small town in the Marshall Islands, being nursed back to health and waiting transport to Majuro, the capital.

As the only plane that services the area is out for repairs, officials are considering transferring him by boat.