Russian man rescued after getting lost in the sea for 67 days, brother and nephew die

A Russian man has been rescued after surviving 67 days adrift in the cold Sea of Okhotsk. Unfortunately, his brother and nephew, who were with him during the ordeal, did not survive.  

The survivor, 46-year-old Mikhail Pichugin, was discovered on October 14 by a passing fishing boat near the Kamchatka Peninsula. A video of the rescue shows Pichugin on a small catamaran-like boat, waving a red flag to signal for help. Although weak and emaciated, he was conscious when found.

In this photo taken from video released by Russian Emergency Ministry Press Service on Tuesday, Oct. 15, 2024, Russian emergency workers transfer Mikhail Pichugin into an ambulance. (Photo via AP)

Pichugin had set off on August 9 with his brother Sergei, aged 49, and his 15-year-old nephew Ilya, from the Khabarovsk region in eastern Russia. The trio was on a whale-watching trip around the Shantar Islands, but contact with them was lost shortly after their journey began. A search effort was launched, but rescuers were unable to locate the boat for over two months.