MANILA, Philippines — A fisherman who was reported lost since Aug. 4 was found alive after 46 days of keeping himself afloat in the open sea.
According to a Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) report, fisherman Robin Dejillo, 49, was found on board a white motorized boat, which was drifting near Basco in Batanes on Sept. 19.
Dejillo is from Infanta, Quezon. He was reported missing since Aug. 4 by the PCG station in northern Quezon.
During the rescue, the weakened Dejillo had to be carried by PCG personnel.
He said he failed to sail back home after his boat ran out of gas.
Dejillo said he survived the ordeal living in the open sea by “drinking rainwater and eating fish” and sometimes the coconuts he found floating on water.
The PCG brought Dejillo to the Batanes General Hospital for treatment. It also promised to bring him home from Basco to Infanta by aircraft.