Kathmandu. If someone’s boat breaks down in the middle of the ocean, their phone breaks down, and there’s no sign of help, it’s impossible for anyone to survive for long. However, 39-year-old Kai Sato of California struggled for life and death in the same condition for more than a month. Eventually, a passing cargo ship at sea rescued him safely from the wrecked boat.
According to a report in the New York Post, Kai left Catalina Island in California on June 7 in his small sailboat. In the beginning, everything was normal. However, about 2 weeks later, the mast of his boat broke. Later, the boat ran out of fuel and the battery of his mobile phone was completely dead. Now he had no way to contact anyone or steer the boat in the right direction.
Cried for many days, gave hope{
Kai said his boat was swept away by the ocean currents and reached too far from the shipping lane. He began to feel that perhaps no one would ever find him. “I cried for almost a week,” he said. I even contemplated suicide. Sitting in the middle of the sea, he suffered a lot. The waves swept the boat around. ’
Started repairing the boat himself
After about 5 days of frustration, Kai started trying to operate the boat on his own instead of giving up. He used PVC pipes and kayak paddles to make temporary repairs. He tried to steer the boat. His efforts succeeded, and gradually he began to make his way to the sea route where the big ships passed.
How was food and beverages arranged?
Kai had very little food left when he was trapped in the sea. He survived on leftover oatmeal. He also satisfied his hunger by eating fish and squid that jumped into his boat. The biggest challenge was water. When he ran out of clean drinking water, he collected the moisture in a bucket from the seawater and quenched his thirst by licking.
A month later, the ship
After nearly a month of struggle, Kai was able to reach the shipping lanes between California and Hawaii. The crew of the container ship Pasha Hawaii, bound for Hawaii, spotted the wrecked boat and immediately began a rescue operation.
On the first attempt, the rope ladder did not reach the boat properly. However, on the second attempt, Kai boarded the ship safely. There he was first given clean clothes, water and fresh fruit.
Kai said he was “very emotional” after being rescued. Tears of joy welled up in his eyes. He thanked the ship’s crew and said, “You helped me so much and took such good care of me. ’
Kai is currently living with a relative in Hawaii. Despite this horrific experience, he has not decided to leave the sea. “I’m planning to travel to the Philippines in a big safe boat in the future,” he said. —Agency
