Image Credit: Associated Press (AP)

This is the account of Mikhail Pichugin, 45, who was discovered alive 67 days after his boat engine malfunctioned during a doomed whale-watching trip on a Russian trawler. Reports from local media indicate that he was found while clinging to a rubber dinghy alongside the bodies of his deceased brother and nephew who tragically perished during the expedition. A video shared by East2West Media Group shows him donning an orange life jacket, signaling for help from fishermen in the darkness, and conveying his extreme weakness to rescuers. Mikhail was subsequently rescued at night and brought aboard the fishing vessel Angel by its crew. Despite a reported weight loss of 50 kg, he is said to be in a stable condition.

Initially mistaking the small inflatable boat for debris, the fishing vessel eventually investigated further and made the astonishing discovery of Pichugin. He was promptly taken to an emergency care unit at Magadan hospital, where he is said to be suffering from dehydration and hypothermia but is otherwise stable. Mikhail, together with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew, had set out for the remote Shantar Islands, a renowned whale feeding area off the northwest coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, in early August. However, they went missing on their return journey to the city of Okha on Sakhalin Island on August 9.

Subsequently reported missing by their family, local authorities initiated a search and rescue operation. After a month of fruitless searching, the operation was called off under the assumption that no one could survive the severe weather conditions. The men had provisions to last two weeks, warm clothing, life jackets, flares, and approximately 5 gallons of water with them. It is believed that their disappearance at sea was due to engine failure.

The details of how Mikhail managed to survive in the frigid waters of East Asia or how the boFortunately, At avoided being swept away by the storms, unlike his brother and nephew who tragically lost their lives. Local media reports indicate that the local prosecutor's office has initiated a preliminary criminal investigation into the deaths. Additionally, Mikhail may be at risk of imprisonment as his boat is not allowed to travel beyond two nautical miles from the shore under Russian law.