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Here’s an astonishing story of human endurance that could have come straight from a Hollywood movie.
An emaciated Mexican man has been found washed up on a remote Pacific reef after living for 16 months at sea and drifting 8,000 miles in a broken down boat.
In an epic adventure of survival that mimics Tom Hanks’ Chuck Noland characterin the film Cast Away, Jose Ivan ate birds, turtlesand fish while drinking the blood of his catches to stay alive.
He was found dressed only in his tatty underpants on the tiny Ebon Atoll on the Marshall Islands – 620 miles north of the Solomon Islands – by astounded locals.
Norwegian anthropology student Ola Fjeldstad, who is stationed on the atoll, told how he met the castaway.
He said: “His condition isn’t good but he’s getting better. The boat is really scratched up and looks like it’s been in the water a long time.
"We’ve given him a lot of water and he’s gaining strength.”
Jose told Ola he and a colleague left Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012.
But his companion died several months ago after their 24ft fibreglass boat lost power and began drifting.
Ola said there was no fishing gear in the craft but they did find a turtle inside. Jose told the researcher he caught food with his bare hands.
He is being looked after by a family in a council house on Ebon.
A health checkfound he had low blood pressure. But he did not have any life-threatening illness and was able to walk with help.
Jose has met the mayor, who put in a call to the Marshall Islands ministry of foreign affairs in the capital Majuro, where he is expected to be transferred to later.
In 2006, three Mexicans were found alive by a Marshall Islands fishing vessel after drifting across the Pacific while making the same perilous trip as Jose.
They survived on rainwater, fish and seabirds – with their spirits kept high by reading the bible.
An emaciated Mexican man has been found washed up on a remote Pacific reef after living for 16 months at sea and drifting 8,000 miles in a broken down boat.
In an epic adventure of survival that mimics Tom Hanks’ Chuck Noland characterin the film Cast Away, Jose Ivan ate birds, turtlesand fish while drinking the blood of his catches to stay alive.
He was found dressed only in his tatty underpants on the tiny Ebon Atoll on the Marshall Islands – 620 miles north of the Solomon Islands – by astounded locals.
Norwegian anthropology student Ola Fjeldstad, who is stationed on the atoll, told how he met the castaway.
He said: “His condition isn’t good but he’s getting better. The boat is really scratched up and looks like it’s been in the water a long time.
"We’ve given him a lot of water and he’s gaining strength.”
Jose told Ola he and a colleague left Mexico for El Salvador in September 2012.
But his companion died several months ago after their 24ft fibreglass boat lost power and began drifting.
Ola said there was no fishing gear in the craft but they did find a turtle inside. Jose told the researcher he caught food with his bare hands.
He is being looked after by a family in a council house on Ebon.
A health checkfound he had low blood pressure. But he did not have any life-threatening illness and was able to walk with help.
Jose has met the mayor, who put in a call to the Marshall Islands ministry of foreign affairs in the capital Majuro, where he is expected to be transferred to later.
In 2006, three Mexicans were found alive by a Marshall Islands fishing vessel after drifting across the Pacific while making the same perilous trip as Jose.
They survived on rainwater, fish and seabirds – with their spirits kept high by reading the bible.