Costa Rican Fishermen Rescued After More Than Six Weeks at Sea
Five Costa Rican fishermen were rescued off the coast of El Salvador after spending more than six weeks adrift on the Pacific Ocean surviving on rain water and sea turtles, Costa Rica's Ministerio de Seguridad said Wednesday.

The fishermen, one of whom is 15 years old, had set off in a small fishing boat from the town of Playas del Coco on Nov. 16, and were blown into the ocean by fierce winds, the department said in a news release.

On New Year's Eve, a Polish cargo ship spotted the fishermen burning plastic bags 185 kilometers (115 miles) off El Salvador's coast and alerted authorities. The fishermen were rescued by the Costa Rican coast guard.

The boat's captain, Gregorio Collado, said he and his crew survived on fishing skills and self-discipline, taking one sip a day of the only drinking water aboard.

"The blood and meat of the turtles kept us strong and when water was scarce, we decided to only drink half a cup. Nobody complained," Collado said.