A Russian man has been rescued after surviving more than two months in the stormy waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, drifting in a small inflatable boat without an engine. Tragically, his brother and nephew, who had been traveling with him, did not survive.
The rescue took place on Monday, off the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia’s far east, according to the local prosecutor’s office.
The man, identified by Russian media as 46-year-old Mikhail Pichugin, had been on a whale-watching expedition with his 49-year-old brother and 15-year-old nephew. Their journey, which began in early August, took a devastating turn when the engine of their inflatable boat failed, leaving them adrift. The bodies of Pichugin’s brother and nephew were found in the boat when a fishing vessel named Angel came to his rescue. The trio had been missing since August 9, when they were returning from the Shantar Islands, located off the northwestern coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, to Sakhalin Island. Despite a search operation, they were not located until Monday.
Survival against the odds
Russian news outlets reported that the men had minimal supplies—just a small amount of food and about 5.2 gallons of water—when their engine malfunctioned. By the time Pichugin was rescued, he had lost about half his body weight, weighing only 110 pounds. The details of how he managed to survive the extreme conditions of the Sea of Okhotsk, known for its icy waters and fierce gales, remain unclear. It is also not yet known how his brother and nephew perished.
The crew of the Angel initially mistook Pichugin’s boat for a buoy or debris when they saw it on their radar. Upon closer inspection, they were shocked to discover a lone man aboard the inflatable craft.
A video released by the prosecutor’s office captures the harrowing moment of the rescue, showing a visibly frail Pichugin, clad in a life jacket, calling out desperately for help. “Come here!” he shouts as the crew rushes to pull him aboard. “I have no strength left,” he told them as they brought him to safety.
Ongoing investigation
Russian authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, focusing on potential violations of safety regulations that led to the deaths of Pichugin’s family members. The tragedy has sparked questions about the dangerous conditions in the region and the precautions taken by the ill-fated expedition. This remarkable survival story comes amid broader concerns about the hazards posed by the Sea of Okhotsk, the coldest sea in East Asia, known for its unpredictable weather and treacherous conditions.