Two fishermen rescued by Mexico's coastguard after floating at sea for five days in cooler box

The Mexican Navy rescued two fishermen after they had been drifting in the Pacific Ocean in a cooler box for five days. At the time of their rescue, they were more than 240 kilometers off the coast of the state of Chiapas, the Navy said in a statement.

The men, aged 53 and 32, had set out to fish in a boat but contact with them was lost on 14 August.

Five days later, rescue teams spotted them on the open sea. The search operation began after members of a fishing cooperative alerted authorities and requested assistance in locating the two missing men.

The Navy subsequently launched a search operation involving both air and sea assets, deploying a ship, an interceptor boat, and an aircraft.

The teams eventually discovered the two fishermen approximately 130 nautical miles (241 kilometers) off the coast of Chiapas.

When rescuers found them, both men were sitting on a cooler in the middle of the ocean, according to Mexican authorities.

The official statement provided no details regarding the fate of the boat they had originally taken out, nor did it explain how they survived the five days at sea.

Brought ashore by helicopter

A Mexican Navy offshore patrol vessel proceeded to the location where the men had been sighted and carried out the necessary manoeuvres to bring them to safety.

Once on board, Navy medical personnel initially examined the two fishermen. A helicopter then transported them to port, where they received further treatment before being reunited with their families.

The Navy Secretariat provided no further details regarding their state of health.