MAJURO, Marshall Islands, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A 37-year-old man arrived in a badly damaged boat in the Marshall Islands on January 30, claiming to have been lost at sea since December 2012. <\/p>\n
The man, who identified himself as an El Salvadoran national named Jose Ivan Alvarengo, described his ordeal in an interview with The Telegraph. Upon seeing land last week, Alvarengo said, \"I cried, Oh God. I got to land and had a mountain of sleep. In the morning I woke up and heard a rooster and saw chickens and saw a small house. I saw two native women screaming and yelling. I didnt have any clothes -- I was only in my underwear and they were ripped and torn.\" <\/p>\n
Alvarengo appeared well fed despite his 13 months at sea, has a gaunt face, swollen ankles, and a bushy beard. <\/p>\n
On December 21, 2012, Alvarengo said he and a 15-year-old fisherman named Ezekiel set off for a one-day fishing trip when the motor on their 24-foot boat stopped working. They then drifted into the Pacific Ocean. Ezekiel died four months later. Alvarengo survived off of birds, turtles, fish, and small sharks. He said he frequently drank his urine to quench his thirst. <\/p>\n
Despite contemplating suicide during a four-day period, he credited constant prayer, lack of boredom, and little fear with his survival. \"I had my mind on God ... If I was going to die, I would be with God. So I wasnt scared ... I imagine this is an incredible story for people.\" <\/p>\n
According to CNN Weather producer Judson Jones, it is possible Alvarengo traveled from Mexico to the Marshall Islands within 13 months given a possible \"meandering journey in and out of the currents\" in the Pacific. <\/p>\n
At the time of his disappearance, Alvarengo worked for a Mexican company and wants to be repatriated to Mexico. The Mexican Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement indicating embassy personnel from the Philippines would travel to the Marshall Islands \"to learn directly about the case.\" <\/p>\n
U.S. Ambassador to the Marshall Islands Thomas Hart Armbruster has been credited with helping authorities obtain information about Alvarengo's family in El Salvador and the U.S. <\/p>\n
[The Telegraph] [CNN] <\/p>\n
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Castaway arrives in Marshall Islands after 13 months at sea<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" MAJURO, Marshall Islands, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- A 37-year-old man arrived in a badly damaged boat in the Marshall Islands on January 30, claiming to have been lost at sea since December 2012. The man, who identified himself as an El Salvadoran national named Jose Ivan Alvarengo, described his ordeal in an interview with The Telegraph. Continue reading