A Filipino fisherman miraculously survived eight days stranded at sea after his ship sunk, drinking rainwater and eating raw fish.
Rosalon France Kayon, 31, and another trawler left Brillyan Port on the Philippine island of Palawan on December 20th to fish for tuna in the South China Sea.
They set off at 4 a.m. and paddled about 30 miles offshore to fill containers with fish to sell at market on their last payday before the Christmas and New Year holidays, according to Viral Free Press.
On December 23, after meeting their fishing quota, the group decided to return to the port, but the dilapidated boat started leaking, leaving Rosalon stranded.
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A Filipino fisherman miraculously survived eight days stranded at sea after his ship sunk, drinking rainwater and eating raw fish. (Viral Free Press)
Miraculously, he was rescued by Chinese fishermen near Rizal Reef in the disputed waters on December 31st.
Speaking to local media after the ordeal, Rosalon said: “When I saw water leaking into the boat, I started panicking. After a while I calmed down and thought maybe I could survive this. From that moment on. I started filming videos,” he said.
A self-portrait video taken on Rosalon's cell phone details how the resourceful fisherman survived for more than a week in the open ocean. He had no phone signal but wanted to record a video to keep his diary.
He showed the boat half submerged and the Styrofoam box containing the fish bobbing up and down in the water.
In one video, Rosalon takes a piece of tuna, washes the meat, cuts it, and salts it to make a sun-dried fish called “dine.''
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Rosalon France Caillon melted and drank the ice he had brought in a bucket to preserve his catch. (Viral Free Press)
They also melted and drank the ice they had brought in buckets to preserve their catch. When he ran out of water after three days, he said he relied on the rain for drinking water.
“I broke down the box and built a raft using the parts and rowed it towards Rizal Reef. I also took the helm of the boat and used it to steer the raft.As for the water, the occasional rain “We were lucky that it rained. There was nothing, we just had to hold back our thirst,” he said.
Using what was left of his phone's battery, Rosalon used GPS to locate the nearest landmass, rowed there and anchored at either Rizal or Commodore Reef.
He said he waved to a passing Chinese fisherman, who spotted him and took him to the Philippine Navy Barracks on December 31.
“I couldn't even stand up,” Rosalon said. “After days without food or water, I stumbled from exhaustion, hunger, and thirst.”
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Rosalon France Kayon, 31, and another trawler left Brillyan Port on the Philippine island of Palawan on December 20th to fish for tuna in the South China Sea. (Viral Free Press)
Rosalon's sister, Cheche Kayon Quinikon, said she became worried when other fishermen returned without her brother.
“By December 23rd, almost all the fishermen had already returned home except for my brother, who said he had not seen him. I also called the coast guard every day, but my brother “I was always told it was never found,” she said.
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The Western Navy said Rosalon was pulled from Rizal Reef by the Philippine Coast Guard's BRP-Cabra (MRRV-4409) and brought back to Brillyan Port in Bataraza town.
“The safe return of Rosalon Cayon is a testament to the strength of the interagency operation. The leadership of the Western Command and the joint efforts of the Western Navy, the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) District of Palawan Island, and the Bataraza Municipality of Palawan Province contributed. ” played a vital role in ensuring the success of the rescue and the reunion of Burgi Liotva with her employers and soon with her family in Puerto Princesa City,” the Western Navy said in a statement. .
