The Story of Jose Alvarenga
The story of Jose Alvarenga’s survival at the ocean is one of both
agony and the ecstasy of triumph over nature’s challenges. It all
started on the 17th of November 2012, when Alvarenga, a
fisherman from Mexico set to sail with his fellow fisherman Cordoba
(lesser experienced) on what was supposed to be a routine fishing
trip for about 36 hours. Little did they know, that they were about
to embark on a journey that was going to test the limits of human
endurance and will.
The Pacific Ocean is unthinkable in size and expanse. If one
started off the coast of northern Chile and dug a hole through the
earth the other end of the hole would still be in the Pacific Ocean.
The Pacific covers about one-third of Earth's entire surface and it is
bigger than all of the land on Earth combined. It is mostly empty
which means that it would be really unfortunate to get lost here, as
the chances of finding an island in the vast expanse of the sea
would be next to impossible.
Their journey began like any other, with hopes of a bountiful catch
to sustain them with money for the next week or so. However, fate
had other plans in store for them. Their troubles began when a
storm swept in unexpectedly, tossing their small boat into the vast
expanse of the Pacific Ocean.
Caught in the grip of the turbulent wind and waves, Alvarenga and
Cordoba found themselves in a situation where they had been
forced to expel some things to reduce the weight of the ship. Both
of them in panic threw some essentials and devices including a
radio, fishing nets, and the oars, which led them to be completely
lost at the sea, cut off from any way of contact with the outside
world.
Their boss organized a search party to look for them for days.
However, as their boat drifted further out into the vastness of the
Pacific it got harder and harder. So, they eventually were forced to
give up just five days later. The winds had already blown them 450
kilometers off the coast before finally settling down.
Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months as
Alvarenga and Cordoba struggled to survive in their tiny boat. With
no land in sight and their food and water supplies dwindling, they
had to rely on their fishing skills to catch whatever they could find
in the ocean to sustain themselves. But even that proved to be a
daunting task as they battled exhaustion, dehydration, and
constant starvation. They saved the water that came from the rain
and used the last of their supplies judiciously.
The days stretched on, with the scorching sun down upon them,
draining them of their strength. Nights were no better as they
huddled together for warmth, with prolonged hunger and fatigue.
However, all through it, they clung to the hope that someday,
somehow, they would be rescued. But as the weeks turned into
months, hope began to fade. With each passing day, their chances
of survival grew slimmer and slimmer, yet they refused to give up.
Even in their darkest moments, it was their friendship that
sustained them, a ray of light amidst the surrounding darkness.
Tragically, Cordoba fell ill and passed away, leaving Alvarenga
alone to face the harsh realities of survival. Stricken with grief and
loneliness, Alvarenga refused to believe it, and even spoke with the
dead Cordoba for almost a week, before he finally accepted the
truth. He resolved to fight for his survival with whatever he had
left.
Alvarenga claims that he had seen two ships moving past him but
could not help as he could not turn their attention towards him. He
had no flare guns or firecrackers. He kept moving on for months in
the middle of the sea. He subsisted on a diet of raw fish, seabirds,
and the occasional turtle, his stomach with a constant hunger and
pain.
But finally, on the 30th of January 2014, he spotted coconuts
around his boat and birds landing around him. He knew that land
was near and after some days he discovered an island that
appeared to be uninhabited. It took him half a day to drift near the
shore when he finally jumped out of his boat for the first time in
over a year. He swam ashore and discovered a house and also
made contact with the first other humans since he left his village in
Mexico. Then, after an astonishing 438 days at sea, salvation
finally came in the form of a passing fishing boat. Discovered off
the coast of the Marshall Islands, Alvarenga was rescued from the
brink of death.
Alvarenga's story is one of unimaginable suffering and resilience. It
is a testament to the strength of the human spirit in the face of
adversity, and a reminder that there is always hope. Though his
journey may have ended, his legacy will endure as a symbol of
courage, perseverance, and the unbreakable will to survive.
