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José Salvador Alvarenga

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Jose Salvador Alvarenga
Born
Garita Palmera, Ahuachapan, El Salvador
DisappearedDecember 21, 2012
Off the coast of Costa Azul, Chiapas, Mexico[1]
StatusFound
NationalitySalvadoran
OccupationFisherman
Known forClaiming to have survived 13 months at sea in a small fishing boat
ChildrenOne 14-year-old daughter, Fatima

Jose Salvador Alvarenga (born in Garita Palmera, Ahuachapan, El Salvador,[2] age either 36 or 37)[nb 1] is a Salvadoran man who became well known in February 2014 when he claimed to have spent 13 months at sea in a small boat in the Pacific Ocean.[6] He is reported to have survived on a diet of raw fish, small birds, sharks, and rainwater.[7] He swam to shore at Ebon Atoll on January 30, 2014.[8] He is currently living in a hospital in Majuro,[9] where he was transferred on February 3.[3]

Biography

Alvarenga was born in Garita Palmera, Ahuachapan, El Salvador, to Jose Ricardo Orellana, and Maria Julia Alvarenga. Orellana, age 65, owns a flour mill there, and Mrs. Alvarenga is age 59.[10] His parents still live in Garita Palmera.[8] He is unmarried,[3] has a 14-year-old daughter, who also lives in Garita Palmera with Alvarenga's parents,[8] and several brothers, who live in the United States; for example, his brother-in-law Jorge Bonilla lives in Maryland.[4] He left El Salvador about 15 years ago to move to Mexico, where he worked as a fisherman[4] for a man he called "Willie," whose real name may have been "Villermino Rodriguez." In an interview, Rodriguez said that while he knew Alvarenga, said "There are things that don't match up. I knew him, but I have a lot of doubts."[11] Rodriguez's father, Villermino Rodriguez Solis, said that Alvarenga had gone missing with a companion on November 18, 2012, rather than the December 21 date on which they originally set sail.[12] Other fishermen living in or around Costa Azul referred to him as "La Chancha" (Spanish for "the pig") rather than by his real name.[1] He has stated that he "wishes to be repatriated back to Mexico."[2]

Voyage

Alvarenga has said he set sail from the fishing village "Costa Azul" off the coast of Chiapas, Mexico[1] on December 21, 2012 in a 23- (or possibly 24-)[4] foot-long fiberglass boat for a day's fishing, but was blown off course by a storm.[9] He also claims to have been accompanied by a 15-year-old boy who he knew only as "Ezekiel", who died four months into the voyage after he refused to eat raw birds.[13] On the first day of their voyage, the motor died.[4] Alvarenga has also said that he contemplated suicide for four days after Ezekiel died,[9] but that it was his strong religious faith that ultimately convinced him not to.[3] He also stated that, while at sea, he frequently dreamed about his favorite foods, as well as his parents.[3] The length of his voyage has been described as 6,700 miles long,[2] or as 5,500 miles long,[9] the latter of which is the approximate distance between Mexico and the Marshall Islands as the crow flies.[14] On January 30, when Alvarenga originally made landfall in the Marshall Islands, he claimed to have been at sea for 16 months (and that his name was Jose Ivan),[15] but this was later shortened to 13.[4] According to Gee Bing, Marshall Islands' acting secretary of foreign affairs, Alvarenga's vital signs are all "good," with the exception of blood pressure, which is unusually low. Bing also said that Alvarenga had swollen ankles and struggled with walking.[16]

Reactions

Alvarenga's parents were convinced that he had died eight years ago (well before he ever set sail), as they had lost contact with him around that time, and were therefore overjoyed to discover that he was not.[10] Alvarenga's father said that he had prayed for his son while he was missing,[4] and his mother said that she dreamt about her son during this time.[6] Alvarenga's daughter, upon hearing that her father had been found, said that after he returned home, the "First thing I'll do is hug him and kiss him.”[8]

Skepticism

Some people have questioned the veracity of Alvarenga's story. For example, the owner of the boat he set sail in, Cesar Castillo, said that "It's incredible to survive that long,” and "It's hard to think how anybody could go more than six or seven months without getting scurvy at least.”[8] Alvarenga stated that the other person in the boat with him was 15 years old but perished. The Guardian found the Chiapas rescue services official, Jaime Marroquin, who was informed that a fishing boat had gone missing in the area on November 17, 2012. The official report identified the two fishermen as being named Cirilo Vargas and Ezequiel Cordova,[8] and that both of them were in their thirties. The local authorities originally searched for Vargas and Cordova, but then called off the search after two days, citing heavy fog and bad weather.[8] As for the discrepancy between the names of the fishermen in the 2012 report and those of Alvarenga and Ezekiel, CBS News reported that "... records in Mexico are often filed with such mistakes."[17] Skeptics of his story have also pointed out that when Alvarenga arrived on Ebon Atoll, no one who lived there spoke Spanish. Another person who expressed doubts about whether Alvarenga was telling the truth was Gee Bing, who said, "It does sound like an incredible story and I'm not sure if I believe his story," adding, "When we saw him, he was not really thin compared to other survivors in the past. I may have some doubts. Once we start communicating with where he's from, we'll be able to find out more information."[9]

Support

Tom Armbruster, the United States Ambassador to the Marshall Islands, acknowledged that it seems implausible for someone to survive at sea for 13 months, but also said that "...it’s also hard to imagine how someone might arrive on Ebon out of the blue. Certainly this guy has had an ordeal, and has been at sea for some time.”[14] In addition, The Guardian's Jo Tuckman argued that the fact that a fishing boat had been reported missing on November 17, 2012 "lin[es] up" with Alvarenga's claim that he set sail the following month, and that this supports the view that "at least some of his story holds up."[1]

Notes

  1. ^ Most sources state that Alvarenga is 37, usually based on his own statements;[2][3][4] however, he has expressed uncertainty regarding his exact age, and has been said to be uncertain about whether he is 36 or 37.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b c d Tuckman, Jo (4 February 2014). "José Salvador Alvarenga's 13 months at sea backed by fishermen and officials". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  2. ^ a b c d Walker, Brian (3 February 2014). "Castaway claims he drifted 13 months in Pacific". CNN. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  3. ^ a b c d e Johnson, Giff (4 February 2014). "Real-Life Castaway Survived On Dreams Of Tortillas And Family". Business Insider. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Pearlman, Jonathan (4 February 2014). "Castaway's family in El Salvador rejoice at his survival". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  5. ^ Pearlman, Jonathan (3 February 2014). "Too incredible to be true? Survivor tells of Pacific ordeal". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  6. ^ a b De Graaf, Mia (4 February 2014). "'I saw him alive in my dreams': Stunned mother of Pacific castaway who claimed to have spent 14 months adrift at sea wants him home as his daughter, 14, says first thing she will do is hug and kiss him". The Daily Mail. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  7. ^ Connor, Tracy (4 February 2014). "'Mexican fisherman shore up Marshall Islands castaway's account'". NBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g "Fishy Story? Details Of Castaway's Tale Adrift At Sea Confirmed But Doubts Remain". Fox News Latino. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  9. ^ a b c d e Haddou, Leila (3 February 2014). "Pacific castaway recounts his 13-month odyssey". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  10. ^ a b Aleman, Marcos (4 February 2014). "Sea survivor's Salvadoran family thought he died". Chicago Sun-Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  11. ^ "Jose Salvador Alvarenga's family had given him up for dead". CBC.ca. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  12. ^ "Doubts raised over castaway's 13 months 'lost at sea' claim". Fox News Channel. 4 February 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  13. ^ Pearlman, Jonathan (4 February 2014). "Castaway from Mexico: First photos of Jose Salvador Alvarenga's boat". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  14. ^ a b Associated Press (3 February 2014). "Jose Salvador Alvarenga, Mexican Fisherman, Says He Survived 14 Months at Sea". The Epoch Times. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  15. ^ Addley, Esther (31 January 2014). "Castaway tells tale of 16-month Pacific survival to rival Life of Pi". The Guardian. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  16. ^ Withnall, Adam (4 February 2014). "Castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga's 'incredible story': Official says fishy tale may be too good to be true". The Independent. Retrieved 4 February 2014.
  17. ^ Reals, Tucker (4 February 2014). "Jose Salvador Alvarenga's survival story gets backing from Mexico rescue official". CBS News. Retrieved 4 February 2014.

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