Fisherman missing for 2 weeks found alive, thanks to Good Samaritans in a life raft.
A missing fisherman who had been lost at sea for almost two weeks was miraculously discovered alive, floating in a life raft approximately 70 miles (110km) off the western coast of the United States. The US Coast Guard Pacific Northwest released a statement confirming that Good Samaritans had located the fisherman just one day after they had halted their search efforts.
The heroic Canadian rescuers who stumbled upon the fisherman recounted that he had resorted to catching and consuming a salmon to endure his harrowing ordeal. The man’s identity was not disclosed, but it was revealed that he had set sail from Gray Harbor in Washington state on the ship “Evening,” a 43-foot vessel, on October 12th.
While the identity of the rescuers and their precise method of locating the fisherman remain undisclosed, King-TV in Seattle identified them as Ryan Planes and his uncle John, hailing from Sooke, a town situated on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. Ryan described spotting what appeared to be a life raft in the distance and using binoculars to confirm the sighting before the fisherman launched a flare to signal for help. They successfully pulled him aboard their vessel, and an emotional reunion followed.
The fisherman recounted his 13 days adrift on the raft, during which he caught a salmon to stave off hunger. He was provided with sustenance, including breakfast and water, upon being rescued. Fortunately, he was in stable condition and was transported back to shore by the Canadian Coast Guard and another Canadian rescue agency. The man was later taken to a hospital in Tofino, British Columbia, for further medical attention.
The missing fisherman had departed with another sailor on the Evening, with their planned return date being October 15th. The Coast Guard had, on Wednesday, suspended their search efforts after scouring an extensive area of more than 14,000 square miles for over eight hours. Regrettably, the other sailor who accompanied the fisherman has not yet been located, and the incident remains under investigation. The decision regarding whether to resume the search remains uncertain.
