Rescued fisherman survived on slippers, styrofoam

ZAMBOANGA CITY - A fisherman stranded for five days at sea was forced to eat his slippers and  styrofoam chest to survive his ordeal.

Jerry Kirit Gahonera, 39, was washed out by the big waves spawned by Tropical Depression Agaton last January 12 while on board his pumpboat during a fishing venture with other fishermen in waters off Siaton, Negros Oriental.

Gahonera, who was spotted clinging on to his capsized pumpboat by the villagers of Sitio Sinonoc, Barangay Kauswagan, Baliguian town in Zamboanga del Norte, was rescued by the police authorities on Friday.

He said that he felt severe hunger after two days of drifting on the sea with nothing to eat and drink.
Gahonera said he never lost hope and thought of his three children and wife.

"I started eating bits of my slippers and Styrofoam," the fisherman said in Filipino as he recounted his fivey-day ordeal.

Gahonera was already being prepared to be sent to his home in the Visayas.

At least 40 people were killed in landslides and flooding in Mindanao due to the heavy rains brought on by a low pressure area (LPA), which intensified into Tropical Depression Agaton last week.

The tropical depression has been downgraded back to an LPA.