A Russian man, aged 45 and named Mikhail Pichugin by local media, managed to survive an astonishing 67 days adrift in the Sea of Okhotsk. This ordeal claimed the lives of his brother, Sergei, and his 15-year-old nephew, Ilya, who were with him on a small inflatable dinghy. Pichugin’s survival raised questions among authorities about how he endured such harsh conditions.
The journey began in August with plans for whale watching. Unfortunately, the men carried provisions intended only for two weeks. They were discovered by a fishing boat crew approximately 620 miles from their starting point.
Pichugin’s wife revealed that their daughter originally intended to join the trip but opted to return home instead.
Speaking with Ria Novosti, a Russian state-run news agency, Pichugin’s wife expressed her disbelief: “We don’t know anything yet. We just know that he’s alive… It’s some kind of miracle!” She speculated that her husband’s initial weight of about 100kg might have contributed to his survival, noting that he weighed significantly less upon rescue.
A video captured the dramatic rescue, showing Pichugin in an orange life vest signaling to the fishermen in the dark. Exhausted, he conveyed to them that he had no strength left. The fishermen instructed him to hold on as they approached to rescue him.
After being rescued, Pichugin and the bodies of his brother and nephew were taken back to the port city of Magadan.
Dmitry Lisitsyn, head of Sakhalin Environment Watch, commented on the miraculous nature of Pichigin’s survival.
“There are two real miracles here,” he stated. “The first is that such a small, uncontrolled boat was not capsized in the stormy autumn Sea of Okhotsk after more than two months of drifting. I can’t wrap my head around how that is possible. The boat certainly went through several strong storms and remained afloat – this is something incredible. The second is that someone on this boat survived. The fact that two people died — a father and son — is very sad, but not surprising.”
Pichugin is now in a hospital where doctors report that he is in a relatively stable condition.