A castaway who survived 438 days at sea is being sued for $US1 million by the family of his dead crewmate, after claims he stayed alive by eating him, news.com.au reports.
36-year-old Salvador Alvarenga washed ashore on Marshall Islands in January last year after drifting 10,782km from the coast of Mexico, where the boat he and crewmate Ezequiel Cordoba, 22, were sailing in was lost in a storm.
Alvarenga, a tuna fisherman, said his best friend starved to death early on, and that he kept his body on board the boat for six days for company.
But now the family of Mr Cordoba are claiming he was a victim of cannibalism, and are demanding $US1 million.
Alvarenga’s lawyer has denied his client had eaten his crewmate and friend, but had instead thrown his body overboard. He also pointed out the lawsuit was launched just days after Alvarenga’s long-awaited book about his time at sea was released.
“Many people believe the book is making my client a rich man, but what he will earn is much less than people think.”
Alvarenga has stated publicly that he stayed alive for over a year at sea by drinking urine and turtle blood, and eating fish and birds he caught by hand.
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