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"They're fixing it little by little." Russian who drifted for 67 days in the Sea of Okhotsk gives first comment to journalists
Survivors are drifting in the Sea of Okhotsk, God helped them
Survivor Mikhail Pichugin (46), who drifted for 67 days in the Sea of Okhotsk with the bodies of his brother and nephew, made his first comments to journalists after being rescued by fishermen. According to the man, his physical condition is fine and "is gradually getting better."
A doctor at the Magadan Regional Hospital, where the victim is being treated, added that he is in contact with Pichugin's wife. The man's family is aware of the situation and has contacted doctors. "Mikhail's wife called to say hello. "She and her mother are together and know the situation," he said.
The first photos of the intensive care unit have also appeared online. In the published video, Pichugin is lying on a hospital bed, talking to doctors and signing documents.
After recovery, Pichugin plans to return to Buryatia, where his family is. The man believes that he survived on the ship "thanks to God's help." Doctors assess his condition as satisfactory.
Deputy head of the Magadan Region government Tatyana Savchenko said she would help Pichugin's relatives fly to Magadan. The rescued man was taken to a local hospital on the evening of October 15.
Sailor Vasily Solntsev of the fishing vessel "Angel", who participated in the rescue of the man, told about the discovery of the boat. "We saw some kind of flashing buoy. We came closer and saw a man in a boat. We immediately began to rescue him. We gave him a bag, he climbed into it, and then we lifted him with a crane," the man recalls.
According to him, after the rescue, Pichugin showed signs of severe dehydration. The sailors gave him water from a spoon so that his body would not react. Pichugin's wet clothes were changed into dry ones and he was wrapped in a blanket. After several hours, the victim was able to speak.
"He realized where he was and told me who he was with. I was shocked, but things gradually got better. He drank some water and warmed up. He began to remember how it was," Solntsev said. The sailors monitored Pichugin's condition, carefully fed him, and then took him to Magadan.
On the night of October 15, the boat with Pichugin, the only survivor on board, was spotted by fishermen in the Sea of Okhotsk. The man, his brother and nephew had set off for the Shantar Islands in early August to see humpback whales. The boat with the bodies of Pichugin and his two relatives was found two months later, a thousand kilometers from the city of Okash, where the Russians had started their route. During the drift, the man lost 50 kg. I used to survive because I was overweight.