Just hours after Costa Rica celebrated the rescue of a second fisherman who survived nearly a week adrift in the Pacific Ocean, new details from the tragedy have emerged. Abraham Ríos, the 28-year-old fisherman found alive Sunday after spending days at sea following the capsizing of the panga Roxana II, told rescuers that he witnessed two of his crewmates die while they were stranded in the open ocean.
The account was confirmed by Javier Cubero, director of Costa Rica’s National Coast Guard Service, after Ríos was brought ashore near Marina Flamingo in Guanacaste. According to authorities, Ríos was located Sunday afternoon near the Murciélago Islands after another vessel spotted him adrift and alerted emergency services. He was later transported in urgent condition to the Santa Cruz Clinic suffering from severe dehydration.
The latest development follows Sunday’s remarkable rescue that The Tico Times reported on earlier, when Ríos became the second known survivor from the Roxana II disaster.
The vessel overturned during rough conditions in the early hours of June 8 after departing from the Guanacaste coast. Search efforts have involved the Coast Guard, Red Cross, and Air Surveillance Service, which logged nearly 19 hours of flight time and covered roughly 3,150 nautical miles in the search area.
Before Ríos was found, fellow fisherman Johnny Rodríguez Oporta had been the only confirmed survivor. According to statements given by Ríos after his rescue, he saw two of the men perish while they struggled to survive at sea. He also reportedly told authorities that another person may still be alive somewhere in the search zone, prompting rescuers to continue operations despite the passage of time.
Authorities have not officially confirmed any deaths because none of the missing fishermen have been recovered. The Coast Guard continues to search the waters off Guanacaste while families wait for answers.
The tragedy has drawn national attention because of the extraordinary survival stories that have emerged from the disaster. Ríos is believed to have survived for nearly a week in open water, reportedly clinging to a floating container before being spotted by passing fishermen.
For relatives of the remaining missing crew members, Sunday’s rescue brought renewed hope but also a painful reminder of the dangers faced by Costa Rica’s fishing communities. Search efforts remain active as authorities continue looking for any sign of the others who were aboard the Roxana II.
