Mexicans back home after months lost in Pacific

[Ban Hammer 14,291]

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Three men who spent months lost and drifting across the Pacific Ocean in a flimsy fishing boat arrived home on Friday in Mexico where they have become unassuming national heroes.

The three, looking slightly bewildered, faced a barrage of questions from over 100 noisy journalists after they touched down in Mexico City on a commercial flight from Honolulu via Los Angeles.

The men's 25-foot (8-meter) fiberglass boat ran into trouble off Mexico's Pacific coast last November and drifted more than 5,000 miles before being picked up two weeks ago by a Taiwanese tuna trawler near the Marshall Islands.

The three survived by eating raw fish and sea birds and drinking rain water in an odyssey that was one of the longest recorded cases of survival at sea while adrift.

"It made us appreciate our friends and food," survivor Lucio Rendon told a news conference. He was due to fly later in the day to his home port of San Blas where a welcome party awaited.

The ordeal has captivated Mexico but questions have arisen in recent days over why they went to sea in the first place and over two other men who died on board.

A government spokesman this week said the men were to be investigated for possible links to drug trafficking but Attorney General Daniel Cabeza de Vaca later said there was no immediate evidence they were smugglers.

The fishermen denied smuggling drugs, and shouted that they were willing to a lie-detector test.

Taciturn men from poor backgrounds, the survivors have charmed Mexico with their tenacity on the voyage and reluctance to play the role of heroes on their return.

Asked in a television interview if they ever drank their own urine, Rendon shied away from answering.

"My friend's ashamed to say it, but we did," said survivor Salvador Ordonez.

On some days, the men lay still for hours to avoid drawing the attention of inquisitive sharks which circled and thumped their tails against the boat.

At night, birds came to rest on the bows of the boat and they would tuck their heads under the wings to sleep. Ordonez, the smallest of the three, became an expert at pouncing to catch them for food.

"My friend here is a cat," said survivor Jesus Vidana.

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they drifted around from sometime in november until just a few weeks ago when they were rescued. wow!

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

yup, amazing tale of survival.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Traviesa 0]

Yeah I remember that was all over the news in Mexico when they found them. They drifted out of Nayarit into the ocean. I just can't believe they managed to survive for 9 months!

[vartan 0]

they drifted around from sometime in november until just a few weeks ago when they were rescued. wow!

Rescued by Taiwanese Fisherman.. GOOOOO TAIWAN!!! wooo!!

[AnaAndDaniel 0]

they drifted around from sometime in november until just a few weeks ago when they were rescued. wow!

Rescued by Taiwanese Fisherman.. GOOOOO TAIWAN!!! wooo!!

yup. it was reported that the castawyas and the crew could not commnunicate due to language diffreences. so the castaways wrote their names down on a piece of paper, the crew faxed it to next port of arrival, and someone there somehow put things together.

Daniel

:energetic:

[Peter Miami 1]

Amazing!!!