Five fishermen missing since mid-March were rescued at sea last week, surviving 55 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean by drinking rain and seawater, the Ecuadorian navy said.

The three Peruvian and two Colombian fishermen were found on May 7 by an Ecuadorian tuna boat called Aldo. The navy said the fishermen had reported damage to their boat’s alternator two days after setting sail from Pucusana Bay, south of Peru’s capital Lima.

Ecuadorian navy Frigate Capt. Maria Fares told The Associated Press that the equipment failure caused communication and navigation tools to malfunction.

“They had no starter, lights and everything that a battery generates,” she said. To survive, they had to “take rusted water out of the engine (and) when a fish passed by, they caught it and parboiled it to eat.” 

Fares added that they also drank rain and seawater to survive.

A soldier checks the vitals of one of five shipwrecked fishermen. (Ecuadorean Navy via AP)

The men are in stable condition and the navy said it is coordinating with local and foreign authorities to ensure their safe return to their respective countries.

This government handout photo shows five shipwrecked fishermen wearing life jackets, who were rescued by an Ecuadorian tuna fishing boat after being adrift for more than 50 days, at the San Cristobal Naval Base, Galapagos Islands, Ecuador, on Saturday, May 10, 2025. (Ecuadorean Navy via AP)

Earlier this year, another Peruvian fisherman was found alive after spending 95 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean, saying he survived on roaches, birds and sea turtles.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.