Five days at sea with no food, no drinking water and no radio sounds almost impossible to survive. Yet two Mexican fishermen managed to stay alive after their boat sank in the Pacific Ocean, using a large fishing cooler as their only flotation device. Daniel Guerrero Martínez, 53, and José Luis Portelas Villegas, 32, were eventually rescued more than 130 nautical miles off the coast of Chiapas on August 19, 2026.
The pair had left Paredón, in the municipality of Tonalá, Chiapas, on August 13 aboard the Camaronera. Their fishing cooperative lost contact with them the next day, setting off a major search involving the Mexican Navy, aircraft, patrol vessels and other fishing boats.
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Mexican Fishermen Went Missing After Their Fishing Boat Sank in the Pacific
Guerrero Martínez and Portelas Villegas were on a routine fishing trip when the situation suddenly turned into a fight for survival.
According to the fishermen, the Camaronera sank at around 3 a.m. on August 15 after a powerful wave struck the vessel. Weather forecasts had warned that rough conditions were expected later, but the men apparently had little time to react once the boat began going down.
They were unable to take essential supplies with them.
There was no food. There was no drinking water. There was no radio.
Their fishing cooperative had already raised the alarm after losing contact on August 14, prompting Mexican authorities to begin searching for the missing pair.
Then came the decision that may ultimately have saved their lives.
“The only thing we could do was empty the cool storage box and climb in.”
The large insulated cooler was normally used to store their catch with ice. Once the boat disappeared beneath the Pacific, it became something far more important: the fishermen’s only way to remain above the water.
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A Fishing Cooler Became Their Only Hope for Survival
For the next five days, the two men either stayed inside the large cooler or clung to it while drifting through the open Pacific.
Their situation became increasingly desperate. They had nothing to eat or drink, and there was no rain to provide even a temporary source of fresh water.
The fishermen said the sun became one of their biggest threats.
“It didn’t rain. The sun almost killed us.”
They reported consuming “absolutely nothing” during the ordeal.
By the time rescuers finally located them, the men had drifted more than 130 nautical miles from the Chiapas coast. Other reports described the distance as approximately 150 miles, or about 240 kilometres.
The scale of that distance made the rescue even more remarkable. Somewhere in the vast Pacific, two exhausted fishermen were relying on a turquoise fishing cooler to keep them alive while aircraft and vessels searched for them.
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Mexican Navy Search Operation Finally Spots the Missing Fishermen
The Mexican Navy, known as the Secretaría de Marina (SEMAR), launched a large-scale search after the fishermen were reported missing.
The operation involved both air and sea searches. The Navy used its “Trinomio” concept, combining a surface patrol vessel, an interceptor boat and an aircraft to expand the area that could be covered.
Additional fishing vessels also joined the search along the fishermen’s last known route.
The breakthrough came on August 19.
Naval personnel spotted the two men floating in the large turquoise cooler amid the ocean swells. Video released by the Mexican Navy shows rescuers approaching the flotation device before lifting the fishermen to safety.
Portelas said he noticed the rescue aircraft and tried to attract the crew’s attention by waving a sack.
After five days of uncertainty, the search was finally over.
| Official Detail | Information |
| Fisherman | Daniel Guerrero Martínez, 53 |
| Fisherman | José Luis Portelas Villegas, 32 |
| Departure | Paredón, Tonalá, Chiapas — August 13, 2026 |
| Contact lost | August 14 |
| Boat sank | Around 3 a.m. on August 15 |
| Time stranded | Five days |
| Rescue | August 19 by Mexican Navy |
| Location found | More than 130 nautical miles off Chiapas |
| Survival method | Large fishing cooler |
| Food and water | None reported |
| Medical condition | Severe dehydration |
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The Two Fishermen Were Severely Dehydrated After Five Days Without Water
After being found, both fishermen received medical attention at sea. They were suffering from severe dehydration after spending days exposed to the Pacific sun without food or drinking water.
They were subsequently airlifted by helicopter to Puerto Chiapas for further treatment.
Their ordeal ended with a reunion that had once seemed impossible.
The men were eventually reunited with their families in Paredón.
The emotional weight of what had happened was clear in their comments following the rescue.
“We didn’t think we were going to survive these days.”
One fisherman continued:
“The only thing we could do was pray to God and wait for the help of all of you here from the Navy.”
The other described the experience in equally stark terms:
“It was the hardest thing imaginable. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody – not even my worst enemy.”
Guerrero Martínez also revealed how close the ordeal had brought him to believing he would never return home.
“I thought I would never see my family again.”
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Investigation Continues Into Why the Fishing Boat Sank
While the rescue brought the immediate crisis to an end, questions surrounding the loss of the Camaronera remained.
Preliminary assessments pointed to rough weather and wind as possible factors in the sinking. The Mexican Navy had initially said that it was not clear how the vessel became disabled, meaning the precise circumstances remained under investigation at the time of the latest reports.
The Navy said the successful operation demonstrated its “commitment to the public to safeguard human life at sea.”
For Guerrero Martínez and Portelas Villegas, however, the outcome was much more personal. A cooler normally used to protect a day’s catch became their only lifeline after their boat vanished beneath the Pacific.
Five days later, that same cooler was still keeping them afloat when rescuers finally arrived.
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Disclaimer
This article is based on survivor statements, information released by the Mexican Navy (SEMAR), Navy rescue video and reporting published around August 19–21, 2026. Minor variations exist in reports regarding the spelling of José Luis Portelas Villegas’ name, including Portelas, Portela and Pórtelas. Reports also vary on the distance from shore, describing it as approximately 130 nautical miles, 150 miles or 240 kilometres. The full investigation into the loss of the fishing vessel was ongoing at the time of the latest available reports.
The reporting and source material referenced for this article include CNN, BBC News Mundo, CBS News, PEOPLE, Dexerto, Mexican Navy (SEMAR) official statements and rescue footage, and dpa International and related wire reports. The story has been written based on the information available from these sources around August 19–21, 2026.
Sources
- CNN — Mexican fishermen floating in cooler rescued after 5 days stranded at sea
- BBC News Mundo — Los pescadores rescatados en México tras pasar cinco días a la deriva en el mar aferrados a una hielera
- PEOPLE — 2 Fishermen Rescued After Spending 5 Days Stranded at Sea in Cooler
- Dexerto — Fishermen survive 5 days stranded in Pacific Ocean using cooler as makeshift boat
- dpa International — Mexican fishermen rescued after five days adrift in cool box at sea
- Mexican Navy (SEMAR) official X announcement and rescue video
- Proceso / local Mexican reporting on the rescue
Featured Image Credit: Rohit Sharma on Pexelss
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