The extraordinary story of five Costa Rican fisherman who in June 1988 were rescued and found to be in remarkably good health after spending a record amount of time - 142 days - adrift at sea. They had set out from Puntarenas on Costa Rica's Pacific Coast on a regular 11-day fishing expedition when they were overwhelmed by a violent storm (El Norte) from the north. They then drifted further and further west, attacked by sharks and a massive whale, eating fish, birds and turtles, almost dying of thirst and as a final recourse having to drink turtles' blood. Most heartbreaking of all, once or twice they came close to being picked up by passing oil tankers, only to be abandoned to their fate. Meanwhile, back home, their wives and families were desperately trying to galvanize the government into search and rescue attempts. When they were finally rescued they had crossed four time zones and travelled about 4000 miles.