85-Year-Old Fisherman Rescued in Amazonas After Canoe Was Stuck for Days in Solimões River
Drought Harms the Region, and Riverside Resident Might Have Been Surprised by How Quickly the Water Level Dropped
An 85-year-old fisherman was rescued last Monday (29th) after being stuck for days in the Upper Solimões region of Amazonas, near the tri-border area with Peru and Colombia.
According to Lucas Gomes, who coordinated the rescue operation for the Civil Defense, Belmiro Tavares was familiar with the region but might have been caught off guard by how quickly the Solimões River's water level dropped due to the severe drought affecting the area.
"From my experience and from what I could see on his body, he got stranded since Saturday [27th], when the river dropped very quickly," Gomes said.
Gomes stated that the drought has caused the Solimões' water course to drop up to 40 centimeters per day.
The fisherman was about seven kilometers from the community where he lives and was only found using a drone. "He was covered in mud, debilitated, speaking very softly. He was lucid but very tired and dehydrated," Gomes said.
After the rescue, the fisherman was taken to the hospital, where he remains under treatment.