Máximo Napa Castro, a 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman, was rescued after spending 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, just like Tom Hanks in Cast Away, but without Wilson. You won’t believe it, but this man says he survived thanks to his faith, his instinct and an extreme diet: cockroaches, fish that jumped into his boat, birds hunted at night and turtle blood to avoid dying of thirst. His testimony, shared by CNN, has shocked the world and reignited the debate about human strength in extreme situations.
Máximo’s story, known by his nickname “Gatón”, is not just a tale of physical endurance, but also of emotional struggle. For three months he was stranded at sea, without an engine, communication or direction and with his supplies gone, this man survived in the most hostile conditions the sea can offer!
A journey that turned into a nightmare
It all began as just another fishing trip. Máximo had prepared enough supplies for a month and was ready to return home after that period. But right then, the engine of his boat broke down. He tried to fix it without success and, logically, began rationing food and water until someone found him.
As the weeks went by, the supplies ran out and despair took over the boat. With no help in sight, Gatón turned to what the ocean could offer, no matter how extreme it seemed.
The diet that kept him alive
And yes, the moment came when his supplies ran out. Máximo knew he had to do something and started eating what he found in the boat: cockroaches. Ugh. (what would the nutritional value of cockroaches be?) Well, he started by going after them. Then, his survival instinct sharpened, he hunted birds that landed on his boat at night, he approached quietly and hit them with a stick.
“I didn’t want to do it, but I had no choice. It was my life or theirs” he said.
And no, it wasn’t easy. This fisherman said he thought about ending his life up to three times, but there was something that kept him here: the love for his family and his faith in God. He thought he couldn’t abandon either. And he kept on fighting.
Turtle blood to avoid dying of thirst
With no fresh water, he had to make even more extreme decisions. He captured a sea turtle and, having no other liquid source, drank its blood to stay alive.
“I didn’t do it because I liked it. It was out of necessity” he explained emotionally.
When hope seemed lost
About to fall asleep one night, he heard a voice shouting his nickname: “Gatón!” A helicopter was flying over his boat and had found him!!! The end of the nightmare was near, and shortly after, a rescue boat came to bring him back to land.
“I told God: You did it! You did it!”
The reunion with his family was a key moment, and he himself described it as “sensational”. After 95 days of absolute isolation, Máximo hugged his loved ones again and gave thanks for having a second chance at life.
Faith, endurance and love for life
“I will tell my story to the whole world so everyone knows that God is everything in this life”. And that’s what he’s doing!
His experience, even extreme, leaves a message of hope: in the deepest darkness, there is room to keep going! Gatón, with his skin marked by the sun and his voice broken with emotion, has become a symbol of survival, not only for Peru, but for anyone who has ever felt like they couldn’t go on. Welcome back to life, Gatón!