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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
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| José Salvador Alvarenga's 13 months at sea backed by fishermen and officials | |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| While castaway José | While castaway José |
| Salvador Alvarenga's claim to have survived more than a year adrift | Salvador Alvarenga's claim to have survived more than a year adrift |
| in the Pacific in 22-foot fibreglass boat before washing up on Ebon in the | in the Pacific in 22-foot fibreglass boat before washing up on Ebon in the |
| Marshall Islands last week still fails to convince many, accounts | Marshall Islands last week still fails to convince many, accounts |
| from Mexico suggest that at least some of his story adds up. | from Mexico suggest that at least some of his story adds up. |
| Alvarenga has told diplomats and | Alvarenga has told diplomats and |
| reporters from his hospital bed on the islands that he set out from | reporters from his hospital bed on the islands that he set out from |
| the fishing village of Costa Azul on the coast of the Mexican state | the fishing village of Costa Azul on the coast of the Mexican state |
| of Chiapas in December 2012 with a fellow fisherman called Ezequiel | of Chiapas in December 2012 with a fellow fisherman called Ezequiel |
| but they were blown into the ocean by bad weather. | but they were blown into the ocean by bad weather. |
| He has said that Ezequiel died about a | He has said that Ezequiel died about a |
| month into the odyssey while he survived on a diet of fish, birds and | month into the odyssey while he survived on a diet of fish, birds and |
| turtles, and by drinking turtle blood and rainwater. | turtles, and by drinking turtle blood and rainwater. |
| Chiapas rescue services official Jaime | Chiapas rescue services official Jaime |
| Marroquín confirmed to the Guardian that a boat manned by two | Marroquín confirmed to the Guardian that a boat manned by two |
| fisherman was reported missing from Costa Azul two days after it set | fisherman was reported missing from Costa Azul two days after it set |
| out on 17 November 2012. The report was lodged by the boat's owner, a member of the Camaroneros de la Costa co-operative, which | out on 17 November 2012. The report was lodged by the boat's owner, a member of the Camaroneros de la Costa co-operative, which |
| Alvarenga has mentioned in an interview. | Alvarenga has mentioned in an interview. |
| Marroquín, who oversaw the search | Marroquín, who oversaw the search |
| operation, said the weather had been very bad and it was | operation, said the weather had been very bad and it was |
| perfectly possible the boat was blown out into the ocean. He | perfectly possible the boat was blown out into the ocean. He |
| said fishermen in the area commonly set off in similarly small | said fishermen in the area commonly set off in similarly small |
| vessels on one or two-day trips in search of shark or shrimp with no | vessels on one or two-day trips in search of shark or shrimp with no |
| navigational equipment. | navigational equipment. |
| “The winds were high,” he said. | “The winds were high,” he said. |
| “We carried out an intense search but we had to stop the search | “We carried out an intense search but we had to stop the search |
| flights after two days because of poor visibility.” | flights after two days because of poor visibility.” |
| The official report of the event | The official report of the event |
| names | names |
| the two missing fishermen as Cirilo Vargas and Ezequiel Córdova. | the two missing fishermen as Cirilo Vargas and Ezequiel Córdova. |
| Both are said to be aged 38, which jars with Alvarenga's description of | Both are said to be aged 38, which jars with Alvarenga's description of |
| his companion as a teenager, although Mexican official reports commonly | his companion as a teenager, although Mexican official reports commonly |
| contain mistakes. | contain mistakes. |
| While Alvarenga's name is not mentioned in the report | While Alvarenga's name is not mentioned in the report |
| he has given his age as 37. | he has given his age as 37. |
| Marroquín said the boat's owner indicated that Vargas was | Marroquín said the boat's owner indicated that Vargas was |
| from El Salvador and there were no family members following the | from El Salvador and there were no family members following the |
| progress of the search effort, while Ezequiel's father had always | progress of the search effort, while Ezequiel's father had always |
| been at the airstrip during the operation. | been at the airstrip during the operation. |
| Local fishermen from Costa | Local fishermen from Costa |
| Azul have told Associated Press that Alvarenga lived and worked in the area for years and was lost at sea in mid-November. They | Azul have told Associated Press that Alvarenga lived and worked in the area for years and was lost at sea in mid-November. They |
| said they only knew him as La Chancha, a nickname | said they only knew him as La Chancha, a nickname |
| presumably derived from a slang word for pig, suggesting he was | presumably derived from a slang word for pig, suggesting he was |
| habitually corpulent. | habitually corpulent. |
| From the Marshall Islands Alvarenga has | From the Marshall Islands Alvarenga has |
| said that while he had been based in Mexico for some 15 years, he | said that while he had been based in Mexico for some 15 years, he |
| was originally from a coastal town in El Salvador called Garita | was originally from a coastal town in El Salvador called Garita |
| Palmera, near the border with Guatemala. | Palmera, near the border with Guatemala. |
| The Salvadoran newspaper tracked down | The Salvadoran newspaper tracked down |
| his parents in the town. They said their son had moved to Chiapas | his parents in the town. They said their son had moved to Chiapas |
| because he wanted to work on shark fishing boats based there but the | because he wanted to work on shark fishing boats based there but the |
| family had lost contact with him eight years ago when he stopped | family had lost contact with him eight years ago when he stopped |
| visiting his hometown. | visiting his hometown. |
| “We thought that he must be dead,” | “We thought that he must be dead,” |
| María Julia Alvarenga said. “I cannot find the words to describe | María Julia Alvarenga said. “I cannot find the words to describe |
| how I feel, as his mother, to know that he has been found.” | how I feel, as his mother, to know that he has been found.” |
| His teenage daughter told the paper she | His teenage daughter told the paper she |
| was looking forward to seeing her father again. | was looking forward to seeing her father again. |
| El | El |
| Salvador's foreign ministry released | Salvador's foreign ministry released |
| a statement saying it was co-ordinating with the Mexican authorities and | a statement saying it was co-ordinating with the Mexican authorities and |
| that the castaway would return first to Mexico and then go on to El | that the castaway would return first to Mexico and then go on to El |
| Salvador. From the Marshall Islands a spokesman | Salvador. From the Marshall Islands a spokesman |
| from the foreign affairs ministry confirmed that Alvarenga was likely | from the foreign affairs ministry confirmed that Alvarenga was likely |
| to be discharged from hospital today or tomorrow. “Other than some swollen | to be discharged from hospital today or tomorrow. “Other than some swollen |
| ankles his overall condition is OK,” Anjane Kattil said. “According to | ankles his overall condition is OK,” Anjane Kattil said. “According to |
| the doctors his immune system is weak, but not as weak as we | the doctors his immune system is weak, but not as weak as we |
| expected.” | expected.” |
| The idea that anybody | The idea that anybody |
| could survive so | could survive so |
| long at sea in such a small boat with no cover from the elements, while living | long at sea in such a small boat with no cover from the elements, while living |
| on such a restricted diet, let alone end the ordeal with little more | on such a restricted diet, let alone end the ordeal with little more |
| than swollen ankles, has fishermen scratching their heads in Mexico as well. “It's incredible to survive that | than swollen ankles, has fishermen scratching their heads in Mexico as well. “It's incredible to survive that |
| long,” boat owner Cesar Castillo said. “There was a case | long,” boat owner Cesar Castillo said. “There was a case |
| from around here of fishermen who survived 27 days before they were | from around here of fishermen who survived 27 days before they were |
| rescued by a Japanese ship but it's hard to think how anybody could | rescued by a Japanese ship but it's hard to think how anybody could |
| go more than six or seven months without getting scurvy at least.” | go more than six or seven months without getting scurvy at least.” |
| But if Alvarenga's survival surprises | But if Alvarenga's survival surprises |
| many, few are positing theories to explain how else he might have | many, few are positing theories to explain how else he might have |
| crossed 6,200 miles of open ocean to arrive on the Marshall Islands | crossed 6,200 miles of open ocean to arrive on the Marshall Islands |
| in a boat that is, at least, very similar to the one it appears he set | in a boat that is, at least, very similar to the one it appears he set |
| out in back in 2012. | out in back in 2012. |
| “It's hard for me to imagine someone | “It's hard for me to imagine someone |
| surviving 13 months at sea,” the US Ambassador in Majuro, Tom Armbruster, | surviving 13 months at sea,” the US Ambassador in Majuro, Tom Armbruster, |
| told the Associated Press. “But it is also hard to imagine how someone might arrive | told the Associated Press. “But it is also hard to imagine how someone might arrive |
| on Ebon out of the blue.” | on Ebon out of the blue.” |
| • With additional reporting by Paul Farrell of Guardian Australia | • With additional reporting by Paul Farrell of Guardian Australia |