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"I had no choice": interview with a tourist who survived in the Sea of Okhotsk
He still can't seem to believe that there is solid ground beneath his feet, that he is warm and safe. After 67 days on a broken catamaran in the open sea, Mikhail Pikchugin looks around in confusion, seemingly constantly seeking confirmation that he has been rescued. When asked how he managed to escape disappointment, he searches for an answer almost without thinking.
Mikhail Pichugin: "With God's help. I can't say more. I had no choice. "My mother was home, my daughter was home."
Mikhail has already contacted his mother and daughter by phone. They are now deciding whether it makes sense to visit him in the hospital or whether the doctors will let him go home next week. In Buryatia, relatives are preparing not only for a joyful meeting with him, but also for a very difficult event - the funeral of his brothers and nephews Ilya and Sergey Pichugin. People died before his eyes.
His body drifted on the boat for more than two weeks. And in addition to the goal of survival, he set himself the task of burying his loved ones. Mikhail, who had lost 50 kg in two months, was on the verge of death when he was spotted by the crew of a trawler with the symbolic name "Angel".
Another test that the travelers had to endure was the constant cold. Now the water temperature in the Sea of Okhotsk does not exceed 4 degrees. The tourist kit that we thoughtfully took with us on board helped us maintain body temperature in such conditions.
Mikhail Pichugin: "Mongolian sleeping bags have camel wool. It feels damp, but not dry. But just climb in there, roll around a bit, and warm up."
According to him, there was no panic on board in the first days after the engine failure. They counted the food, namely freeze-dried noodles and peas soaked in sea water, assuming that they would be found within a week. A 20-liter supply of fresh water helped. An experienced fisherman and hunter, Mikhail raised the spirits of his loved ones and shared the secrets of survival in difficult situations. I regret one thing: I did not take a spare engine.
But the calculations did not come true. After the accident, the ship was carried hundreds of kilometers out to sea by ocean currents.
Pavel Klochkov, head of the branch of the headquarters of the Russian Emergencies Ministry in the Magadan Region: "There is practically no communication in the Sea of Okhotsk, except for satellite phones. "There is a radio station that plays "Swan" on the sea waves, but it can only be heard by passing ships."
Investigators will have to find out whether the traveler complied with the necessary safety requirements. They will also study in detail the horrific circumstances of the death of his relatives. So far, a criminal case has been opened only on the fact of the death, which occurred before the catamaran was discovered by fishermen. Mikhail is not currently thinking about the possibility of criminal prosecution. Mental suffering is the greatest punishment for him. Therefore, psychologists are now working closely with the survivors.