The Incredible Story Of How One Man Survived 438 Days Lost At Sea

An Ocean Lover

José Salvador Alvarenga was an avid and experienced fisherman and sailor. He felt at home in the great waters. The 35 year old El Salvador native was always looking to the seas for his next adventure.

The Sea Calls

In November 2012, Alvarenga, began planing a small fishing trip with his friend and frequent fishing companion Ray Perez. The two men were scheduled to leave from a local village called Costa Azul, resting off the coast of Chiapas, Mexico.

The Prepararion

The two men prepared their 24 foot-long boat. They also equipped it with an icebox made of fiberglass to store the caught fish in. They checked for leaks in the boat’s bottom and made sure that the boat’s single motor was in working order. Soon, they were ready to take to the seas.

Change of Plans

At the very last minute, Perez had to back out of the fishing trip. Alvarenga was still eager to go out to sea and soon decided he would find another fisherman to accompany him. At such short notice, it would be difficult to find someone prepared to take to the ocean in mere hours.

Fisherman Found

Alvarenga sought out the right man for the trip, someone who was physically fit enough to endure the short but intense overnight trip. Ezequiel Córdoba rose to the challenge for an agreed sum of $50. Ezequiel had no fishing experience but Alvarenga was sure his own expertise would get both men safely back to shore.

Setting Off

Alvarenga believed the trip would last a mere 30 hours. The small fishing boat was low and uncovered and unable to weather any storms, but the weather had been pleasant. For such a short trip, the men didn’t think it was necessary to check if all the technical devices on board were in working order. The two-way battery was half empty, but Alvarenga was nevertheless confident. He also had his mobile phone, which he safely stored in a packet to keep dry.

To the Sea

The men set sail on November 17, 2012 for what initially proved to be a very productive fishing expedition. The small fishing boat held 70 gallons of gasoline, 16 gallons of water, 50 pounds of sardines for bait, and 200 pounds of ice. They were also equipped with fishing hooks, buckets, fishing line, a harpoon, three knives, and several wrenches for the boat’s motor.

Back to Safety?

By the following day, the men had caught 1,100 pounds of fish, which filled up the icebox to capacity. Their catch was so heavy that the boat began to feel unstable. Alvarenga decided it was best to make their way back to dry land. It was then that things took a terrifying turn for the worst.

Sudden Danger

The men ventured back to shore, but the last leg of the fishing trip proved to be unexpectedly dangerous. In mere hours, Alvarenga and Córdoba got caught in a colossal and daedly storm. It was uncommon for that particular time of year. The rain and winds gathered without warning, there was little the men could do to prepare themselves.

Terror Ahead

Panic Attack

Ezequiel Córdoba, had never experienced the terror of a storm out at sea. The young man began to started panic and frantically began to bail the rushing water out of the boat. Alvarenga, tried to remain calm, he knew he had to remain at the motor and attempt to steer them to safety, he bravely navigated the boat through the terrifying storm.

Would They Survive?

The boat was about 50 miles from the nearest shore, despite the distance, Alvarenga was determined on to steer the boat back to safety and dry land. He maneuvered the boat like a true sailor navigating the through the choppy waters while being tossed violently by the waves. Just as Alvarenga believed they were in the clear, something else went horribly wrong.

Engine Troubles

Córdoba spotted the silhouette of a mountain on the horizon, the two men were overjoyed with relief. To their horror, the engine started making all kinds of troubling noises. It would still take at least two hours to reach land. After a few moments, the engine broke down. The two men were left stranded in the middle of the stormy seas.

SOS!

Alvarenga began to panic. He frantically turned on the boat’s radio to send out an SOS to his boss, Willy. Seeing that the radio’s battery was only half-charged, Alvarenga knew he had to act quickly. Fortunately, Willy answered immediately and heard Alvarenga’s cry for help, “Willy! Willy! Willy. The motor is ruined!”

A Plan is Made

“Calm down, man, give me your coordinates,” Willy replied after he understood the men were in grave danger. He wanted to send a search team out immediately to but he needed their exact location. Willy knew that the two men would not survive a colossal storm in the ill-equipped boat. Unfortunately for the two men, Willy would never discover their location.

Another Disaster

The radio cut to silence. The device had been damaged by the storm and had abruptly failed. Willy heard Alvarenga’s last words on the radio trasnmission: “Come now, I am really getting f***ed out here!” The stranded men were quickly running out of ideas and time. Alvarenga decided to lay an anchor so that the boat would be easier to find, but lo and behold, they didn’t have one.

The Search Mission

Willy reported the emergency situation right away to the local authorities. A search boat was immediately sent out to look for the men, but without a location of their exact whereabouts, the search party had no success. More extreme measures would have to be taken…

New Measures

Eventually an airborne search team was launched. A helicopter spent 48 hours looking for the missing boat. The storm was still raging on and visibility was poor. After 2 days, the search was called off. Te weather conditions were simply too bad. It was proving impossible to find the men.

Lost Hope

The men soon lost all hope. No help was on the way. They had to rely on their survival instincts. The weather was still poor and the vessel needed to be made lighter in order to remain afloat amidst the tremendous waves. The men made the difficult decision to empty their catch into the ocean. How would they survive?

Life as Castaways

In order to keep them afloat, Alvarenga tied 50 buoys together as an improvised sea anchor to provide much needed stability. As night fell, temperatures dropped drastically, so to ward off hypothermia from their soaking wet clothes, the men huddled together to generate body heat. Their hands were so cold that they couldn’t even make a fist. When a wave came crashing in, one of them men would use a bucket to empty the water out of the boat.

Deadly Thirst

Alvarenga and Córdoba had an ocean-full of fish and sea turtles at their disposal. They had enough to eat but there was nothing available to quench their thirst. Alvarenga knew that drinking seawater could destroy kidney function and cause dehydration. This men resorted to drinking their own urine and the blood from the turtles they had caught. Their longing for water was becoming too much to bear.

Months of Misery

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months, and soon, the castaways lost track of time. The struggle for food continued. The men even ate their own fingernails at one point. Alvarenga  also caught jellyfish, eating them whole. Floating pollution also proved useful. Sometimes they found rotten vegetables and rancid milk to drink.

A Dark Depression

The men spent their days sharing stories about their childhoods, their loved ones and their regrets and hope. Despite the companionship, Córdoba fell into a deep and devastating depression. After about two months, the young man began to refuse to eat. He refused any offering of meat from Avarenga. He was in rapid mental and physical decline.

His Last Words

Córdoba had lost the will to live. One fateful morning he turned to Alvarenga and said, “I am dying, I am dying, I am almost gone.” His body convulsed and tensed. Alvarenga panicked, “What am I going to do here alone,” he screamed. As Alvarenga cried over the rigid body of his friend, Córdoba took his final breath and passed on.

Alone and Defeated

Alvarenga refused to accept the loss of his only companion. It took six days for the fisherman to come to turns with the death of Córdoba. Eventually, Alvarenga gave his friend a proper burial, pushing his washed and blessed corpse off board. Alvarenga was beside himself with grief and misery. He considered taking his own life but as a man of faith, he couldn’t bring himself to take such a drastic measure to escape his own turmoil.

 

Turning to Fantasy

Alvarenga turned to fantasy to help him through his ordeal. He spent his days imagining he was traveling the world’s great cities, alongside beautiful women, eating and drinking to his heart’s desire. He occasionally saw container ships on the horizon but the faraway vessels simply faded from sight. He had no hope of rescue.

Land Ahead

Alvarenga tracked his months at sea by the waxing and waning of the moon. One clear morning, 10 devastating months after his companion’s death, he spotted a small island, no bigger than a football field, on the horizon. He cut the buoys from the boat and drifted towards the small piece of land. He hoped he was not hallucinating, that the prospect of dry land was real.

Island Found

After an hour, the castaway reached the shore. “I held a handful of sand like it was a treasure,” he told The Guardian. Alvarenga had landed on the Tile Islet, a small part of the marshall Islands. After 438 days at sea and a 6,700 mile journey, Alvarenga could hardly stand, but his joy at reaching land gave him renewed energy. He ran naked through the palm fronds screaming at the top of his lungs. He was skin and bone, sunburned and dirty with a tangled beard. Little did he know he wasn’t alone on the island.

Not Alone

It was January 30th, 2014 when Alvarenga landed on the small islet in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. While running the length of the small island, he spotted a beach house and a man husking some coconuts. The beach house was home to Emi Libokmeto and her husband Russel Laikidrik, the sole inhabitants of the island.

Help at Last

When Emi caught glimpse of Alvarenga she was shocked at his weak and desperate appearance. Alvarenga struggled to make direct eye contact with Emi. He had not seen another human face in over a year. While Emi attended to Alvarenga, Russell took a boat to get help from a neighbouring island. He returned with a police officer and a nurse who immediately took Alvarenga to the mainland for emergency medical attention.

World News

The starving castaway was taken to hospital where doctors discovered he was severely dehydrated, anaemic, had low blood pressure, and his liver was infested with parasites. News of Alvarenga’s story soon reached the media. Reporters and journalists soon swarmed onto the island scrambling for information about the incredible story. But Alvarenga was still traumatised and in no condition for the overwhelming attention.

Wild Speculation

 
When Alvarenga was well enough, he told his story to the world. He became the first person in recorded history to be lost at sea for over a year. Oceanographers also proved that it was possible for him to have made it to the Marshall Islands in the time he did. Though some found it difficult to believe Alvarenga’s unbelievable tale, he seemed to appear too healthy looking for a man who claimed to be lost at sea for 13 months.

Finally Home

When he was healthy enough to travel, Alvarenga flew back to his hometown of Garita Palmera, El Salvador for a very emotional family reunion. His family and friends were overjoyed at his survival story. So many people wanted to know exactly what Alvarenga went through out at sea, he decided to share his full story to journalist Jonathan Franklin and turn it into a book. Sadly, Alvarenga’s troubles were not over.

A Terrible Accusation

The book was titled 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea, and went on to become incredibly successful. When Ezequial Córdoba’s family witnessed Alvarenga’s financial successes, they turned on the fisherman. They demanded half of the money made from the book, or around $1 million. They believed Alvarenga was only alive to tell his extraordinary tale because they believed he actually killed and then ate Córdoba. Alvarenga denied the horrifying accusation wholeheartedly.

Lesson Learnt

Following his traumatic ordeal, Alvarenga has been left with devastating effects of the experience. He has trouble sleeping and has developed a deep fear of seeing any form of water, let alone the ocean. But the life changing event taught him to appreciate life. “I suffered hunger, thirst and an extreme loneliness, and didn’t take my life. You only get one chance to live – so appreciate it.” That is Alvarenga’s inspiring message to the world.