Mikhail Pichugin, 45, miraculously survived 67 days lost at sea on an inflatable boat after a whale-watching trip turned into a nightmare. Pichugin, his brother Sergey, 49, and his 15-year-old nephew Ilya set off in early August, but their boat’s engine failed during their return from the Shantar Islands, known for bowhead whales. The vessel began drifting, leaving them stranded in the stormy Sea of Okhotsk.
Fishermen discovered Pichugin, severely emaciated, having lost 50kg, and wrapped in blankets with a life vest on. Tragically, Sergey and Ilya did not survive the ordeal. Despite a major search operation, Russian authorities had given up hope after the group failed to return within two weeks. Pichugin’s survival, after more than two months adrift, is considered nothing short of a miracle.
