Russian Man Survives Two Months Adrift in Tiny Boat, But Brother, Nephew Perish

A Russian man has been rescued after surviving for over two months adrift in a tiny inflatable boat in the stormy Sea of Okhotsk, but his brother and nephew have tragically died, The Associated Press reports.

Mikhail Pichugin, 46, was found alive on Monday by a fishing vessel off the Kamchatka Peninsula, according to the prosecutor’s office in the far east of Russia.

Pichugin, along with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew, embarked on a whale-watching trip in early August. The trio went missing after setting off from Cape Perovsky in the Khabarovsk region on August 9, heading towards Sakhalin Island.

A rescue operation was launched, but they were not located until Monday.

Russian media reports that their boat’s engine failed, leaving them adrift with only a small food ration and 20 liters of water. Pichugin, who weighed some 50 kilograms (110 pounds) upon rescue, had lost half of his body weight during the ordeal.

When the fishing vessel spotted the tiny boat on radar, they initially mistook it for debris. However, upon closer inspection, they found Pichugin alive.

Pichugin’s brother and nephew were found dead, tied to the boat to prevent them from being washed away by the sea. The exact cause of their deaths is unknown.

Pichugin was taken to the Magadan hospital, suffering from dehydration and hypothermia, butin overall stable condition.