Image credit: Associated Press (AP). This recounts the remarkable story of Mikhail Pichugin, aged 45, who was discovered alive after 67 days when his engine failed during a tragic whale-watching outing aboard a Russian trawler. Local media reports reveal that he was found clinging to a rubber dinghy alongside the bodies of his deceased brother and nephew, who had perished during the expedition. In a video shared by the East2West Media Group, Pichugin, wearing an orange life vest, signals for help from fishermen in the darkness, noting his weakened state. Rescuers, upon retrieving him at night, brought Mikhail on board the fishing vessel Angel. Despite losing 50 kg, he is said to be in stable condition.

Initially mistaking the small inflatable boat for debris or a buoy, the crew decided to investigate further and were shocked to find Pichugin. He was swiftly transported to the emergency care unit at Magadan hospital, where reports indicate he is suffering from dehydration and hypothermia but is stable. Reports suggest that Mikhail, along with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew, set off for the remote Shantar Islands, a well-known whale feeding area off the northwest coast of the Sea of Okhotsk in early August. However, they went missing on their return to the city of Okha on Sakhalin Island on August 9. Following a missing person report by their family, local authorities initiated a search and rescue operation. After a month of fruitless searching, the operation was discontinued on the assumption that survival amid the severe storms was highly unlikely.

According to the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, the men had brought provisions for two weeks, warm clothing, life jackets, flares, and approximately five gallons of water. The engine failure is thought to be the reason for their stranding at sea. The details of how Mikhail managed to endure in the frigid waters of East Asia and the conclusion of the sentence remain unknown.Although At survived the storms that claimed the lives of his brother and nephew, 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 Russian law prohibits his boat from venturing more than two nautical miles from the shore.