Russian Man Survives for 67 Days Adrift in the Frigid Sea of Okhotsk
A Russian man survived a two-month ordeal at sea in a rubber dinghy in the remote Sea of Okhotsk after his engine failed on a whalewatching outing - and he may face criminal charges for making the trip. He had brought his brother and teenage nephew along, and they died before they could be saved.
Russian national Mikhail Pichugin, 45, his brother and his 15-year-old nephew departed Sakhalin Island in August for a trip to the remote Shantar Islands. The rugged archipelago is known for its scenery and wildlife, including whales.
On August 9, they began their return to the port of Okha, Sakhalin. However, they never arrived, and authorities mounted a search. After a month of searching and a series of storms, the effort was called off, as officials assumed that the men could not have survived the rough weather and cold water.
The men were comparatively well-supplied for survival, with two weeks of food, life jackets, gallons of water and flares, according to RIA Novosti. Pichugin alone managed to make it to safety, thanks in part to chance. His rubber dinghy was spotted by a fishing trawler, and though the crew initially thought that it was too small to have any occupants, they checked anyways. Pichugin, sitting next to the remains of his brother and his nephew in the raft, waved them down. After 67 days at sea, he had lost 110 pounds and was physically in weak condition, but he was alive. The survivor, the bodies and the dinghy were all recovered aboard the trawler for a return to shore.
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Pichugin's ordeal may not be over, though: he faces a criminal investigation into the deaths of his brother and nephew, and questions about why he navigated his small dinghy more than two nautical miles from shore - a violation of Russian safety regulations.