Filipino fisherman adrift at sea for 47 days rescued

Manila, Sep 20 (IANS) A 49-year-old Filipino fisherman who spent 47 days drifting aimlessly at sea has been rescued after surviving on rainwater, coconuts and fish, the Philippine Coast Guard said on Friday.

Robin Dejillo, a native of Quezon province, southeast of Manila, has been reported missing since August 4 after his boat ran out of gas while conducting a fishing venture, Xinhua news agency reported.

Coast Guard personnel found him on Thursday in the northernmost Batanes province, more than 600 km from Quezon province. Guard personnel sighted a white motorboat with an elderly man on board. The man was Dejillo.

Dejillo survived for more than a month at sea by drinking rainwater and eating fish. He was also sustained by eating coconuts floating on water.

Guard personnel rescued Dejillo and towed the boat to a nearby port.

It was still unclear how Dejillo had survived tropical cyclones that battered the Philippines while he was at sea. At least four storms lashed the archipelagic country in recent weeks.

Dejillo was brought to a local hospital for medical treatment.

After a thorough medical assessment, the Coast Guard said it plans to send a plane to transport Dejillo to his hometown in Quezon province.

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