In a shocking survival story that has raised serious questions about maritime safety and rescue efforts, 61-year-old Peruvian fisherman Máximo Napa Castro was found alive but critically malnourished after spending a staggering 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean.
Napa, who set sail from Marcona, Peru, on December 7 for a two-week fishing trip, was thrown off course by stormy weather. Despite his family’s desperate search efforts, Peruvian maritime authorities failed to locate him, leaving him to survive on rainwater, roaches, birds, and even turtles before he was miraculously rescued by Ecuadorian fishing patrols not Peruvian authorities some 680 miles off the coast.
Why Did Peru’s Maritime Authorities Fail?
While Napa’s resilience and faith in his family kept him alive, his ordeal has sparked backlash against Peru’s search and rescue protocol. His mother, Elena Castro, admitted she had nearly lost hope, while his daughter, Inés Napa Torres called his survival a miracle”, thanking Ecuadorian fishermen—not Peruvian authorities for saving him.
Critics are now questioning why Peru’s maritime patrols failed to locate one of their own citizens while a foreign patrol managed to rescue him. Did Peru give up too soon? Was there a lack of urgency in the search?
A Systemic Failure or an Unavoidable Tragedy?
Napa’s dramatic survival has sparked a larger conversation about the lack of adequate tracking and emergency response for fishermen in the region. Some argue that Peruvian authorities did their best, while others see his 95-day struggle as proof of governmental neglect and a failure to protect its seafarers.
As Napa recovers from extreme dehydration and malnourishment, the question remains: Was his survival purely a miracle, or is it a damning indictment of a broken maritime safety system?
