The family of Ezequiel Cordoba are now suing castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga for $1 million (£650,000) claiming that their son was the victim of cannibalism.
The pair went missing after setting sail from Mexico for a fishing trip when a storm swept them 6,700 miles from shore. Alvarenga’s boat eventually floated onto a reef at Ebon Atoll, the southernmost cluster of coral islands in the Marshalls Islands after being missing at sea for 438 days.
According to Alvarenga, Ezequiel died of starvation very quickly but he managed to keep himself alive for 15 months by drinking urine and turtle blood, as well as eating birds and fish. He claims that after nearly a week of using his friend’s lifeless body as company, he had to take his clothes and slide his body into the water, but the Cordoba family dispute his version of events.
The allegations came to light just days after the fisherman released his book about the ordeal and Alvarenga’s lawyer, Ricardo Cucalon, claims the family simply want a cut of the money the book makes.
He told El Diario de Hoy:
I believe that this demand is part of the pressure from this family to divide the proceeds of royalties. Many believe the book is making my client a rich man, but what he will earn is much less than people think.
It does seem a little suspicious that these accusations are only just coming to light now, poor guy already has enough on his plate without this – pun intended.
