Lost at Sea

Written by: Keya Gambhir

After spending nearly two months lost at sea, five fishermen, three from Peru and two from Colombia, have finally made it to safety in the Galapagos Islands, according to a statement from the Ecuadorian Navy.

The group had been missing since mid-March after setting sail from Pucusana Bay, just south of Lima, Peru. Just two days into the journey, their boat suffered a mechanical failure when the alternator failed, leaving them without power or communication. They drifted helplessly across the Pacific Ocean with no way to signal for help or steer the vessel.

The fishermen, Vladimir González, 32, José Albines, 52, José Gabriel Albines, 31, Jhonny García, and Jorge Ugarte, 40, were eventually spotted on May 7 by a tuna boat named Aldo. The Ecuadorian crew on board brought the group to safety and transported them to the San Cristóbal Navy Base in the Galapagos Islands. The Ecuadorian Navy confirmed their arrival on Saturday and reported that all five men were in stable condition.

The harrowing rescue has drawn international attention, not just for the length of time the men were adrift, but also for the increasingly frequent reports of similar incidents in the region.

The Ecuadorian Navy said it is now working with Peruvian and Colombian authorities to ensure the safe repatriation of the fishermen to their home countries.

This is not the first such rescue in the region this year. In March, 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman Máximo Napa was rescued after surviving 95 days alone at sea. His ordeal began in December 2023, and he told local media he managed to survive by catching birds, turtles, and even eating cockroaches. Like the five recently rescued men, Napa was also rescued by an Ecuadorian vessel and returned home to be reunited with his family.

The Pacific Ocean, while abundant in marine life, presents serious risks for small fishing vessels, particularly those with aging equipment or without backup navigation and communication systems. These long periods of drifting can often result in death due to exposure, dehydration, or starvation. In one heartbreaking case from October, Russian sailor Mikhail Pichugin was rescued after drifting in a small inflatable boat in the Sea of Okhotsk. His brother and nephew died at sea, and he reportedly tied their bodies to the boat to prevent them from being swept away.

In another well-publicized case in 2023, Australian sailor Tim Shaddock and his dog, Bella, survived over two months adrift in the Pacific Ocean after rough weather disabled their boat’s electronics during a trip from Mexico to French Polynesia.

These repeated incidents have sparked calls for stricter safety measures and improved emergency support systems for small fishing operations across the Pacific. Maritime safety experts argue that low-income fishermen often face pressure to set out with inadequate gear and insufficient backup systems, making them more vulnerable when disasters strike.

For now, the five rescued men from Peru and Colombia are recovering and awaiting return to their homes. Officials say they are deeply relieved and grateful to the crew of Aldo and the Ecuadorian Navy, whose coordinated response ended their 55-day ordeal.

“These men are lucky to be alive,” said a Navy official. “Their story is a reminder of both the dangers of the sea and the importance of regional cooperation in saving lives.”

As efforts continue to bring them home, their survival is being hailed as both miraculous and inspiring, a rare happy ending in a string of dangerous maritime incidents.