PURI: In a display of the rare human spirit for survival, an Andaman man kept drifting alone in his boat in deep sea, surviving on saltwater for 28 days until he reached the shores of Khirisahi village in Chilika on Friday.
Narrating his ordeal and fortunate escape from certain death, 42-year-old Amrit Kujur said he along with another person used to sell grocery items on a boat in the islands around Andaman.
On August 28, the two sailed on the boat to sell their wares worth Rs 5 lakh when they ran into a storm. Caught in the rough sea, they had to throw their wares into the water to reduce the weight on the boat which drifted to Myanmar due to strong wind. They reached the Myanmar Naval Port where Navy officers filled their boat with 260 litre of fuel and the two headed for Andaman.
But their trouble was not over yet. With another storm raging in the sea, they had to anchor midway but the wind was so strong that the anchor rope snapped and the boat drifted around. Although the vessel could withstand the wind and did not capsize, Kujur and his companion could not know where it was heading and fuel was exhausted.
With no food or drinking water, his friend died after a few days but Kujur survived by drinking just the sea water.
“I was at the mercy of God,” he said, adding that he kept his friend’s body in the boat for two days but had to throw it into the sea after it started decomposing.
“I am fortunate to have reached land,” he said and thanked Khirisahi villagers for rescuing him after his boat washed ashore and turned turtle.
On being informed, Krushnaprasad Police inspector reached the village and spoke to Kujur.