How Alvarenga was able to survive at sea with no motor, GPS, radio, sunscreen, blanket, and only one knife is nothing short of miraculous. Withnall, Adam (February 4, 2014). "Castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga's 'incredible story': Official says fishy tale may be too good to be true". The Independent. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022 . Retrieved February 4, 2014. a b c d e Franklin, Jonathan (2015). 438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea. p.131. On the one-year anniversary of his journey adrift, the moon was full and José Salvador Alvarenga became the first known person in history known to have survived an entire year in a small boat, lost at sea. Alvarenga's story was heavily reported worldwide despite initial criticism from skeptics. He is the first person in recorded history to have survived in a small boat lost at sea for more than a year. [12] Early and personal life [ edit ]

438 Days Quotes by Jonathan Franklin - Goodreads 438 Days Quotes by Jonathan Franklin - Goodreads

The search party organized by Alvarenga's employer failed to find any trace of the missing men and gave up after two days because visibility was poor. [15] As days turned to weeks, they learned to scavenge their food from whatever sources presented themselves. Alvarenga managed to catch fish, turtles, jellyfish, and seabirds with his bare hands, and the pair occasionally salvaged bits of food and plastic refuse floating in the water. They collected drinking water from rainfall when possible, but more frequently were forced to drink turtle blood or their own urine. Alvarenga frequently dreamed about his favorite foods, as well as his parents. [5]

a b c d e Franklin, Jonathan (November 7, 2015). "Lost at sea: the man who vanished for 14 months". The Guardian . Retrieved November 7, 2015. Alvarenga grew to be a true survivalist. The ingenuity and creativity he developed helped him find food and water. He was able to entertain himself to pass the time. He was able to fight off the insanity that was bubbling to the surface. He continued to amaze me throughout the entire story. I honestly have no idea how he was able to survive for so long drinking turtle blood and eating raw birds and fish. Every time I think of this man, the words “amazing” and “miraculous” come to mind.

José Salvador Alvarenga - Wikipedia

But the few fish he caught weren’t enough. Their bodies were starved for water and protein; Alvarenga could feel his throat closing in on itself. Extreme sun blasted the men, and their only refuge was huddling together in their icebox.

This is a stunning story. How does a hard-partying, spendthrift illegal immigrant (into Mexico!) who sells his catch for subsistence level pay and has no ambitions actually have the wherewithal to survive so long drifting at sea both physically and mentally?