Posted on 08/22/2006 4:07:41 AM PDT by Axhandle
Three Mexican shark fishermen who spent nine months adrift at sea, surviving on raw fish and rain water, have finally reached dry land.
They were plucked from the ocean by another fishing boat on Aug 9, but only this morning arrived at the nearest land - the remote Marshall Islands in the Pacific.
There they were greeted by hordes of Mexican reporters.
Salvador Ordonez, Jesus Vidana and Lucio Rendon are in good health, though their arms and legs are badly swollen from excessive exposure to sun and salt.
Two of the boat party died and were thrown overboard during the ordeal. Mr Ordonez said that one of the men had collapsed after refusing to eat raw food. "He vomited ... and after a while he vomited blood, over and over again," he said.
Mr Ordonez added that he planned to return to the sea when he felt stronger.
The Marshall Islands are 5,500 miles from the Mexican Pacific Coast town of San Blas, where the three men set off from on Oct 28, 2005.
The three survivors, who denied allegations that they may be drug smugglers, said heavy winds carried them out to sea.
To pass the hours, they claim to have read the Bible and prayed for survival.
They are expected to be flown back to Mexico by Friday.
Likeyou said, yeah, they look very healthy for 9 mos of subsisting on dump chickens and rainwater.
You running FR now? Lighten up, Francis.
Hmm, now THAT sounds fishy in of itself. Five men, nine months... Hmmm, I'm gonna guess that those guys who were thrown overboard MAY have provided, ah, shall we say, "a very excellent repast" for the others before they hit Davey Jones locker...
I'm calling shenanigans on this. There is no WAY those guys are undernourished.
Note the post to which I was responding. I was posting to a Net-Nazi.
I've seen two references to this being a repost, but I didn't see it after doing a search. What was the previous post?
In it, the fishermen were still at sea aboard a foreign ship, so details were sketchy. The new story is from a different news source and the fishermen are now on land and the tale is clarified. I don't consider such a thing a repost, but there are always overzealous net-nannies who must monitor FR 24 hrs/day and can't stand any additional mention of a topic even if it provides new information and is from a different news outlet.
http://www.serve.com/bonzai/monty/
*Sound of small boat creaking; seagulls in the background*
*Moans of pain; coughing*
Commander: "Still no sign of land. How long is it?"
Thompson: "That's a rather personal question, sir!"
Commander: (whispering) "You stupid git! I meant how long is it we've been in the lifeboat! You've destroyed the atmosphere now."
Thompson: (whispering) "I'm sorry!"
Commander: (whispering) "Shut up! We'll start again."
*More moans of pain; more coughing*
Commander: "Still no sign of land. How long is it?"
Seaman 1: "Thirty-three days, sir."
Commander: "Thirty-three days!"
Seaman 1: "We can't go on much longer..."
Thompson: (whispering) "I don't think I destroyed the atmosphere then."
Commander: (whispering) "Shut up!"
Thompson: (whispering) "Well, I don't think I did."
Commander: (whispering) "Of course you did!-- Shut up! Shut UP!"
*Again, moans of pain; coughing*
Commander: "Still no sign of land! How long is it?"
Seaman 1: "Thirty-three days, sir."
Seaman 2: "--Have we started again? --ow!" (yelps as officer hits him)
*Yet AGAIN, moans; coughing*
Commander: "*STILL* no sign of land!! How long is it?"
Seaman 1: "Thirty-three days, sir."
Commander: "Thirty-three days!"
Seaman 1: "We can't go on much longer, sir. We haven't eaten since the fifth day."
Seaman 2: (panicking) "We're done for, we're done for!"
Commander: "Shut up, Maudlin! We've just got to keep hoping... SOMEONE may find us..."
Seaman 3: "How're we feeling, Captain?"
Captain: "Not... too good. I feel so week..."
Commander: "We can't hold out much longer..."
Captain: "Listen-- chaps... there's still a chance. I'm... done for, I've got a gammy leg and I'm going fast, I'll never get through, but-- some of you might. So-- you'd better eat me."
Commander: "EAT you, sir?!?"
Captain: "Yes... EAT me."
Thompson: "Eyeeah! With a gammy leg?!?"
Captain: "You needn't eat the leg, Thompson! There's still plenty of good meat! Look at that arm!"
Seaman 2: "It's not just the leg, sir..."
Captain: "What do you mean?"
Seaman 2: "Well, sir... it's just that--"
Captain: "Why don't you want to eat me?!"
Seaman 2: "I'd rather eat Johnson, sir!"
Seaman 1: "So would I, sir."
Captain: "I see..."
Johnson: "Well, that's settled then. Everyone's going to eat me!"
Commander: "Well, uh..."
Seaman 2: "What, sir?"
Commander: "Oh, go ahead please, but I won't..."
Johnson: "Oh, nonsense sir, you're starving -- tuck in!"
Commander: "Oh, no no, it's not that..."
Thompson: "What's the matter with Johnson, sir?"
Commander: "Well, he's not Kosher."
Seaman 2: "That depends how we kill 'im, sir."
Commander: "Yes, that's true... but to be perfectly frank, I prefer my meat a little more lean. I'd rather eat Hodges!"
Hodges: "Oh! Well, alright!"
Seaman 2: "I still prefer Johnson."
Captain: "I wish you'd all stop bickering and eat me."
Hodges: "Look, I tell you what. Those who want to can eat Johnson, and you, sir, can have my leg, and we'll make some stock from the Captain, and then we'll have Johnson cold for supper!"
All: "Ooh, very good!"
"Good idea..."
"Yes, excellent thinking!"
"I guess we could have Hodges... in the morning..."
*Telephone ringing*
*click*
"Hello! As a naval officer, I abhor the implication that the Royal Navy is a haven for cannibalism! It is well-known that we now have the problem relatively under control, and that it is the R.A.F. who now suffer the largest casualties in this area. And what do you think the Argyles ate in Aden? Arabs?
"Yours, etcetera, Captain B.J. Smelling,
"In a white wine sauce with shallots, mushrooms and garlic."
*CLICK!*
np
Thanks for the update and the pictures. Were there any more pictures maggief?
In that first picture to the left that looks like a cover that would go over the front of the boat, kinda like a removable deck with a hole for fish to be thrown in. Need more pictures.
Looks to me like a boat from the big boat. Onwe they'd use to circle a net around a school of fish.
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