Brazilian man rescued after spending 11 days in freezer

A Brazilian man had a miraculous rescue after surviving 11 days adrift in a freezer which he clambered into when his sank in the Atlantic.

Romualdo Macedo Rodrigues, 44, left Oiapoque, Amapa state, northern Brazil in late July in a wooden boat to go to Ilet la Mere.

Macedo planned to spend a few days fishing but his boat sank and he jumped into a freezer he had on board and spent his time adrift without food or water.

Recalling the rescue, the Brazilian man said, “I heard a noise and there was a boat above the freezer. Except they thought there was no one there. Then they slowly got closer, my vision was fading, and then I said, ‘My God, the boat’. I raised my arms and asked for help.'”

The man said what troubled him most was the thirst. “This fridge, for me, was God. A miracle.”

Rodrigues was dehydrated, disorientated and sporting torn clothes when he was rescued. He had sunstroke and pleaded with his rescuers for a drink.

Rodrigues believes that he lost around five kilograms during the 11 days.