Russian men use shovel as paddle to miraculously survive in Pacific Ocean

The motorboat of three Russian men capsized in the Pacific Ocean, but after struggling for six days, two of them managed to return to the mainland by rowing with a simple shovel.

Earlier in March, three friends got on a boat in the port city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and departed for Ust-Kamchatsk in Russia’s Far East. But when they were 150 kilometers from the shore, the boat was capsized by the waves.

Only two of the men were able to get back on the vessel, while their friend disappeared in the turbulent waters, TASS reports. The boat remained afloat, but its engine stopped working. The situation seemed dire as the vessel wasn’t equipped with paddles.

Thankfully, the trademark Russian resourcefulness is a thing. The men discovered a shovel on the boat and used it to row back to the mainland. They returned to the shore completely exhausted six days later.

Luckily, their waterproof phone also survived the ordeal and they were able to call the Emergency Services. The rescuers had to go through 50 kilometers of the shoreline to discover the distressed men and bring them to safety.
However, attempts to find their friend in the area where the boat capsized have so far been in vain.

Like this story? Share it with a friend!