>Jose Salvador Alvarenga is the real castaway – not Tom Hanks’ character from the feature film. The lone survivor claims he had been lost at sea for 13 months after traveling from Mexico. According to his recounts, Alvarenga drifted across the ocean on a small damaged boat. He washed up last week in the Marshall Islands and is telling his story.
How did he survive? With his faith and living off fish and turtles. At times, he even had to drink his own urine to remain hydrated. In an interview with CNN, Alvarenga said there were many times where he was without food. A boy who was traveling with him starved to death.
He told CNN that he would follow the sun’s path across the sky to keep track of time. “(I didn’t know) the date or the day, only the hours,” he said. “Only when it was getting dark and when the light was coming out.”
Authorities are trying to determine the facts of Alvarenga’s story. The Mexican government has confirmed Alvarenga’s identity and said he is an El Salvador national who was living in Tonala in Chiapas state.
