Russian man rescued after 67 days adrift in remote sea

The stranded traveler was found nearly 1,000km off course, having lost his brother and nephew in the ordeal

An emaciated man has been rescued in the Sea of Okhotsk, in the Russian Far East, after spending a reported 67 days adrift in a small inflatable boat, regional authorities reported on Tuesday. His brother and nephew, who allegedly departed with him, did not survive, according to the authorities. Local prosecutors said they were investigating the circumstances of the tragedy for possible criminal negligence.

The men set off on August 9 from the Perovsky Cape in Khabarovsk Region, on what was intended to be an 80km jaunt by a motor boat across Sakhalin Gulf. They have been identified by media as Mikhail Pichugin, 46, his brother Sergey, 49, and Sergey's 15-year-old son Ilya. Only Mikhail survived the journey.

The watercraft went missing, reportedly after its engine failed, and efforts to find it proved fruitless. It was spotted by chance from a fishing boat appropriately named 'Angel' on Monday evening off the coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula, roughly 1,000km east of its original destination on Sakhalin Island.

Videos released by officials show a long-bearded man shouting at sailors that he is too weak to move on his own. When the fishing vessel arrived at the port of Magadan on Tuesday, the survivor had to be carried off on a stretcher and taken to a hospital.

Pichugin was suffering from severe dehydration and malnutrition when he was found, having lost some 50kg of body weight, according to officials. The boat reportedly had enough emergency supplies for the three travelers to last two weeks.

Doctors treating Pichugin at the Magadan hospital told reporters that he appeared stable, but that more tests and observation would be required to deal with the possible long-term effects of his ordeal.

Media have reported Pichugin would need some time to recover before he can be properly questioned about the events that led to the deaths of his brother and nephew. He was conscious and managed to speak to his ex-wife Yekaterina, reportedly asking her to relay the news to his mother.

Unconfirmed reports claimed that Sergey and Ilya had been dead for at least 20 days by the time the boat was found and their bodies recovered. Mikhail is said to be lucky, since he was able to collect enough rainwater to sustain himself.

The Pichugin brothers were reportedly both experienced outdoorsmen and had crossed Khabarovsk Region in a car while towing Sergey's boat with them. They picked up Ilya before taking the boat, Yekaterina told RT. They intended to meet friends on Sakhalin Island and travel together westwards to go whale watching in the Shantar Islands.

(RT.com)