Miracle Discovery in Case of Fisherman Lost at Sea for Months

A fisherman in Peru received a hero's welcome after he was rescued following a harrowing 95 days lost at sea.

Maximo Napa Castro, 61, finally returned to his family after he was rescued by Ecuadorian fishermen on Wednesday. He was found a staggering 680 miles off the coast in Peru. Castro was heavily dehydrated and listed in critical condition.

Castro had initially planned a two-week fishing trip back on Dec. 7, off the southern Peruvian coast in Marcona. Near the end of the trip, however, Castro encountered inclement weather, resulting in his boat veering off course. Castro was suddenly lost somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

For a harrowing 95 days, Reuters reports, Castro survived by eating roaches, birds, and sea turtles. He also survived on rain water. Castro's family searched for him for months on end but they couldn't find him, that is until Wednesday, when he was finally reunited with his family.

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"I did not want to die," the Peruvian fisherman told Reuters. "I ate roaches, birds, the last thing I ate was turtles."

Castro revealed that he spent the final 15 days adrift in the ocean without eating. he said he thought about his daughter and his 2-month-old granddaughter. He said he was "thankful to God for giving me a second chance."

Castro reunited with his brother near the Peru-Ecuador border. He was taken to a local hospital and discharged on Saturday.