11 DAYS IN HELL: Fisherman pulled from Atlantic after over a week in a FREEZER with no food or water
OIAPOQUE, BRAZIL: A fisherman was lost at sea for 11 days with no food and water but he managed to survive by floating in a freezer. Unbelievable footage shows the miraculous moment Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues was pulled from the Atlantic Ocean, after bobbing for 280 miles in a kitchen appliance that he called "God" himself. Rodrigues, 44, left Oiapoque, Amapa state, northern Brazil in late July in a wooden boat to go to Ilet la Mere.
According to Brazilian media, he planned to spend a few days fishing but his boat began to take on water during his trip and sank. He climbed into a freezer he had on board and spent his time adrift without food or water. The fisherman believes that he lost around five kilograms during the 11 days. "What troubled me most was the thirst. This fridge, for me, was God. A miracle", he said, as reported by the Daily Mail. Rodrigues was dehydrated, disorientated and sporting torn clothes when he was rescued. He had sunstroke and pleaded with his rescuers for a drink. Speaking about the terrifying experience to his local media, he said "I thought I was going to be attacked by sharks because there are lots of curious fish on the high seas."
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Recalling the rescue, the fisherman said, "I heard a noise and there was a boat above the freezer. Except they thought there was no one there. Then they slowly got closer, my vision was fading, and then I said, 'My God, the boat'. I raised my arms and asked for help.'"
Um pescador brasileiro passou 11 dias à deriva a bordo de um freezer no meio do Oceano Atlântico após o barco em que estava naufragar. Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues saiu do porto de Oiapoque, Amapá, no início de agosto, e foi encontrado boiando no eletrodoméstico já no Suriname. pic.twitter.com/xMDqCxKwyZ
— 98 FM Natal (@98FMNatal) September 1, 2022
Police officer Luis Carlos Porto said, "He was very thin, debilitated, but in very good spirits. The wounds he had on his body, which were related to the sun, were already much better. He says he had vision problems due to the excessive heat, salt, and light, but he was very calm and in good health." But Romualdo's ordeal was not over. After the boat returned to shore he was given first aid and then arrested in Suriname for being undocumented. It is reported that he then spent 16 days in a prison in Paramaribo, which is the capital and largest city of the country. His nightmare finally ended when he was returned to his home country on a flight which landed in Belem, Para state, also in northern Brazil. Overjoyed, Romualdo described it as 'the most important day' of his life and said 'I was born again.'