The Shipwreck of the Fridge

• His partner died and he survived shipwreck chewing meat birds and turtles.
• The Mexican Raymundo recounts five days aboard a cooler in the Pacific
• "My mother had already bought the food in order to invite the neighbors at my funeral," says

The happiness of a poor fisherman this boat was loaded with 700 kilos fiber dogfish, bream, snapper and shark, a few miles to get to port. After three days and nights of fishing, Raymundo Rodriguez, 48, alias El Chupa known because land is able to drink their weight in beer, and Mario Moreno, an old burly 72 years, returning to Acapulco fantasizing what to spend the 4,000 pesos (235 euros) each would take the load.

The cooler the center, a green box two meters long, one meter wide and one deep, I was overwhelmed by the ice and fish. "In your life do well fishing a few days," recalls killed Raymundo. It was just reward after 10 days unable to get out to sea.

Hurricane Odile just destroy Baja California and down the Pacific coast, unleashing their fury of water and rain in its wake. So, after those 10 days, Raymundo Rodriguez and Mario Moreno took to the sea from Acapulco (south of Mexico) without knowing that behind Tropical Storm Odile Polo arrived and rain and waves three to five feet high.

This is the first-person testimony Raymundo survival following the wreck.

Original Video in Spanish

DAY 1 Wednesday 17 September

It was three in the afternoon and the sky was the color of lead. We brought some water in the boat, which was a bit depressed by the weight of the fish, but we were happy. Until, suddenly, and he Ntro a wave that sank the stern by engine weight. The tip of the boat pointed into the sky as he entered a second wave and suddenly everything was floating around: the blocks of ice, fish, blankets, portable stove ... The next wave turned the boat and when I realized we were in the water.

I started swimming and I asked Mario: "And now what do we do?"." Well, let it die already," he replied. I saw the cooler to the side, so I pulled the remaining fish and got inside. He had separated 30 meters from the ice chest and shouted: "Come here for you to upload." He tried to climb several times but every time we tried the cooler turned around. And again and again and began to nightfall.

In the end, I got the cooler stabilize tying a rope to the sunken boat. At that time the waves were big and raining. I held him and said, "Do not let go and not let me go alone." Finally, he rose, he sat down and never moved.

DAY 2 Thursday, September 18

The night was long but dawned. All I knew was when we sink we were 24 miles (ca. 39 km) from the coast because Mario was looking at when we pour portable GPS. We were sitting opposite each other but just talked among ourselves.

At about 10 am a bird came and perched on the edge of the cooler. I grabbed his legs and tried to bite me, but he twisted his neck and began to suck the blood slowly. With blood, I wet my lips and swallow small sips. Shortly after he returned to settle another bird, one here called scuba diver, and did the same. I grabbed the legs, I laughed my I strain and sipped.

Two hours later he returned another bird. Mario looked at me and I told him to suck to stay hydrated, but he just shook his head from side to side to say no. I insisted that I had to get stronger, but he would not. I took the bird, I opened half and I went poking guts in your mouth.

I had never eaten bird but I saw in a movie that was eaten. It has a tough skin. It's not like the chickens and you have to open his mouth leather. A tasty me knew me. Not eat meat but the chewed and chewed to get the juice and blood and that drain. After pulling the meat because if he had swallowed thirsty.

The storm had passed and the sun was hot. So much that I had to cover with a piece of cloth that continuously wet. Lie both Mario was fading. Was looking at me but every time with the closed eyes and the drooping head. I told him to hang on, and he began to mourn. The sun, salt and water were causing him a wound in the back was raw.

I occasionally incorporated to stretch my legs and placed him in the back the wet sponge to not brushed. I started drinking sea water, a little around, taking well, with hand basin. At first, it was just a little but makes you want to drink you all. You have to make an effort to control you.

DAY 3. Friday, September 19

At 2:00 am I woke up because I heard the engine of a freighter, he stood up, shouted and made signs but no one saw me. It was also frustrating because there were people on deck. Mario and got up but still alive. I stood up, but they are tall and short, as much as anyone heard me cried.

The night is not scary and it's easy to know what time it is because there are stars coming out at 10:00, some at 11:00, others at 2:00 am ... The night is better because you do not burn the sol. Mario and I still did not tell us almost nothing to not waste energy.

Dozing all day but I saw that Mario was going. He put his head next to his heart and heard it was going faster. Like he was agitated. That day I caught a turtle. It was about two in the afternoon when a turtle approached the cooler. Then I caught her hands and went to the box.

Almost did not fit. The animal weighed about 20 kilos, I turned and let kicked until he was tired. The animal tried to bite but mostly I was afraid to hit Mario scars and leave him, because he not resisted. When he got tired of kicking I stuck a stick in the soft spot and made a hole and began to bleed.

I was a sponge soaking, sucking blood and drinking. Wetting had, drank and rested. Thus, several times. Hot blood tastes like milk. I drank slowly until a few hours later began to thin the blood and stopped because there freezes when gelatin is bad.

I would put the sponge Mario mouth to drink but not react. After a while he died. Her jaw drop and veins and had no pulse. I could not hear his heart. I was silent for a long time and seeing first thought if they did not come after me I would end up spending the same. That night I slept soundly. The turtle blood had left me exhausted.
 

DAY 4 Saturday September 20

When I woke up and hit the sun rather stout and spent over a plane that looked like we were looking for, but did not see us. Moving box in the sea and I had with me Mario. In the afternoon, after the sun all day, he started foaming at the nose and mouth.

I thought I had to get him out, but I was worried what his family would say, what could I say to them or send me to court. So after a few hours I took it out of the cooler and tied it to the boat. I left an hour. The body was floating face down. The sea was calm but as the body began to swell and burst feared. So I decided to let go of the boat overturned thinking that if I were not me at least it would appear. He feared that the family thought I killed him or that he had done everything possible to save him.

DAY 5 Sunday September 21

First thing appeared in the sky plane for the second time we were looking for. This time I thought we had already escaped, but when he turned and walked away was desperate. I asked God to save me and give me strength. But he was confident because I knew landfall blowing south, that took me grounded. If blows north takes me to the depths.

After a few hours I began to see land and I fell asleep. When the sun began to fall and caught another bird kept for my dinner. At 7.00 pm I heard the engine of a boat. It was the boat that I found six miles from the coast. I tried to stand up but my legs buckled.

Then I learned that at 12:00 am they had found Mario and at that same time they had decided to suspend the search. My mother had already bought the food in order to invite the neighbors for burial.

CODA

When he came ashore Raymundo had second-degree burns. He had lost a fortune in fish, four kilos of weight and his friend Mario. But he managed to stay alive.