Puerto Chiapas, Chiapas — Two Mexican fishermen who floated inside a cooler for five days have been rescued. The pair were located by the Mexican Navy Wednesday more than 240 kilometers (130 nautical miles) off the coast.
The Mexican Navy said in a statement that the fishermen were located in Pacific waters during a search and rescue operation. They had been adrift for five days inside a cooler in the Pacific Ocean.
Nave personnel from the Twenty-Second Naval Zone based in Puerto Chiapas, located the men off the coast of the state of Chiapas.
“This action was carried out when a distress call was received from the staff of a fishing cooperative requesting support in the search for the 53 and 32-year-old fishermen,” they reported.
According to the Navy, the pair set sail aboard a vessel named “Camaronera” and lost communication on August 14.
“The Secretariat of the Navy, under the command of Admiral Raymundo Pedro Morales Ángeles, deployed surface and air units, carrying out the recovery of the people under the trinomial concept, (ship-interceptor-aircraft), which allowed to expand the search coverage and achieve their location at approximately 130 nautical miles (240.76 kilometers) from the state of Chiapas,” they said.
Once located, a Mexican Navy Ocean Patrol vessel approached the area and rescue operations were carried out to bring both men to safety. Naval medical personnel evaluations prior to the men being airlifted by helicopter to port, where they received medical attention and were reunited with their families.
The Navy did not say what happened to their vessel or how they ended up floating in the cooler for five days before being rescued.
