Two Mexican fishermen, aged 53 and 32, were found alive in the Pacific Ocean five days after they went missing, using a cooler as a means of survival. The men were discovered approximately 150 miles off the coast of the Mexican state of Chiapas, the Mexican Navy reported, according to UNN, citing CBS News.
Details
The fishermen were aboard the vessel "Camaronera" and last contacted their fishing cooperative on August 14. When contact with them was lost, cooperative employees sent a distress signal, after which the Mexican Navy launched a search operation involving ground and air assets.
Rescuers found the men inside a blue cooler that was floating on the surface of the water. They were taken aboard a Navy patrol ship, where they underwent a medical examination.
The fishermen were evacuated and handed over to their families
After the examination, the men were evacuated by air for further medical assistance. In the released photographs, one of them can be seen on a stretcher, while the other is shown on a stretcher during transport.
The Navy did not provide information about the fishermen's exact health condition. After the medical examination, both men were handed over to their families.
The Mexican Navy said that the operation demonstrated its "commitment to protecting human life at sea for the benefit of the public" and urged people who find themselves in an emergency at sea to seek assistance from the Secretariat of the Navy.