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Lost 50 kg: A man was rescued off the coast of Kamchatka after drifting for two months on an inflatable boat in the Sea of Okhotsk
A man was rescued off the coast of Kamchatka after drifting in the open sea for more than two months on an inflatable boat without food or water. His brother and nephew were on board with him; both died. Mikhail Pichugin miraculously survived and was found by sailors from a fishing vessel. The rescued man was extremely emaciated. He lost 50 kg in 67 days on the open sea.
On August 9, Mikhail Pichugin, his brother Sergei, and his 15-year-old son Ilya moved from Cape Perovsky (Khabarovsk Krai) to the Okha District of Sakhalin Oblast. They set off on the journey on the inflatable catamaran "Baikat 470". On board there was a week's supply of food and 20 liters of drinking water. The travelers failed to reach their destination, and communication with them was interrupted.
Around 10:00 p.m. on October 14, the fishing vessel Angel discovered the missing boat in the Sea of Okhotsk. The only survivor on board was Mikhail Pichugin. A video of his rescue was later distributed in the media and on social networks.
The Far Eastern Road Prosecutor's Office told RT that the man was seriously exhausted and in serious condition. The agency added that the missing boat was found near the village of Ust-Khairuzovo in Kamchatka Krai.
Sergei Pichugin's friend Alexey told RT that the men had been planning the trip for a year and it turned out to be fatal for them. They wanted to see the "nature" of the Far East. The travelers were originally from Buryatia.
Alexey added that Sergey's wife is now in a state of moral depression. "We hoped that they were all alive until the last moment. "They hoped that one of the passing ships would save them."
According to Alexei, Mikhail was severely dehydrated and the man was so weak and exhausted that he could barely speak. He is currently under the care of the ship's doctor.
According to the Telegram channel “Bazar”, Pichugin collected rainwater and ate cereals and peas soaked in it in order to survive.
Despite having no contact with her husband for 66 days, Catherine never stopped believing that he would be found alive.
“There was hope, and we didn’t lose it because we didn’t find anything – no boat, nothing,” RT’s source explains.
According to Ekaterina, on August 4, Mikhail, Sergei and his son Ilya left for Shantar Island, and on August 9, 15-year-old Ilya made his last contact. He called his mother Natalia on the fisherman's satellite phone.
The captain who found the missing ship called Catherine at night. He said that Mikhail was alive and asked her to tell his mother. The traveler's wife added that his condition was "stable." He saw the crew and was able to pull the rope and pull it out himself. According to Catherine, Mikhail is now heading to Magadan on the ship that rescued him and is expected to arrive on the evening of October 15. From there he will be taken to the hospital. Catherine does not know what is happening with the bodies of the dead.
The Far Eastern Road Prosecutor's Office recalled that a criminal case had been opened regarding the disappearance of a man and a teenager in the open sea.
In a conversation with RT, lawyer Irina Zui noted that a criminal case is always opened when a person does not die from natural causes.
“This is being done so that the relevant services can determine under what circumstances this death occurred, whether norms and rules were violated, and whose fault it is,” the RT source explained.
According to her, in this case, an investigation will be conducted into whether the vessel on which the men found themselves stranded in the Sea of Okhotsk was in good condition. In fact, the owner of any vehicle (which is considered a source of increased risk by law) is obliged to ensure that the vehicle is in proper technical condition, the lawyer emphasizes.
"If a malfunction occurs, for example because the car was not properly maintained or is missing some important parts, the male owner could be held liable," warns Zuy.
If it turns out that there are no claims against the ship itself and that the accident occurred due to a “confluence of difficult circumstances” (weather conditions, ocean currents), the criminal case will be closed, concludes Irina Zuy.