Jose Salvador Alvarenga survives 438 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean

In December 2012, Jose Salvador Alvarenga embarked on a shark-fishing expedition from Mexico with his companion Ezekiel Cordoba. Their journey took a dire turn when their 24-foot fiberglass boat's motor failed, leaving them stranded in the vast Pacific Ocean. Over the course of 438 days adrift, Alvarenga survived by catching fish, drinking his own urine, and consuming birds. His ordeal ended when he washed ashore on Ebon Atoll in the Marshall Islands, emaciated and dazed. Upon reaching land, Alvarenga had an emotional reunion with Cordoba's mother, Ana Rosa Diaz. However, the relationship between Alvarenga and Cordoba's family soured over time. In 2015, Cordoba's family publicly accused Alvarenga of cannibalism, claiming he had resorted to eating his companion to survive. This accusation led to a demand for a million dollars in compensation, further complicating the already tragic narrative. The extraordinary nature of Alvarenga's survival story raised skepticism among many, prompting a psychological examination and a lie-detector test by a US law firm in 2014. Alvarenga's claims of survival, including his methods of obtaining food and water, were scrutinized, leading to public debate about the veracity of his account. Despite the controversies surrounding his tale, Alvarenga's experience highlights the extreme challenges faced by individuals lost at sea and the psychological toll such an ordeal can take. His story remains a poignant reminder of human resilience in the face of unimaginable adversity.