In an extraordinary tale of survival, two Mexican fishermen have been rescued alive by the Mexican Navy after spending five days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, surviving solely by clinging to a commercial ice cooler.
The ordeal began in the early hours of August 14. José Luis Portales, 35, and Daniel Guerrero, 54, had departed from Paredón Bay on the Chiapas-Oaxaca border for a routine fishing expedition. However, heavy seas and severe weather conditions caused their small vessel to capsize at 3:00 a.m. Unable to recover their boat, the men grabbed a large cooler typically used for storing shrimp and used it as an improvised life raft.
Over 100 Hours Without Food or Water
When the fishermen failed to return and radio communication was lost, local authorities and the Mexican Navy (Semar) launched an extensive search operation. Authorities feared the worst, as the region was experiencing severe weather and strong ocean swells.
For five days, the men drifted helplessly, pushed by intense currents hundreds of miles from their starting point. They endured over 100 hours with no food or fresh water, suffering through freezing nights and brutal exposure to the sun during the day.
«We had no way to catch a fish or drink water, and it didn’t rain enough to keep us hydrated,» Guerrero recalled after the rescue. «We thought we were dead until we saw the helicopter.»
The Rescue Operation
On August 19, a Mexican Navy aircraft conducting aerial sweeps spotted the men approximately 140 nautical miles off the coast of Puerto Madero, near the border with Guatemala. The castaways frantically waved a sack to catch the crew’s attention, prompting an immediate extraction operation.
The fishermen were airlifted to a naval base in Tapachula, Chiapas, where medical personnel treated them for severe dehydration and moderate ultraviolet burns. Both men are reported to be out of danger and recovering.
Following the harrowing experience, 54-year-old Daniel Guerrero announced his permanent retirement from the sea. However, Portales, who has been fishing for five years, stated he plans to return, calling the ocean his life. The successful rescue highlights the critical importance of the Mexican Navy’s maritime surveillance in a coastal region frequently affected by sudden, dangerous weather shifts.
