The real storm was waiting on land

A man who was stranded at sea for 438 days ended up being sued for $1 million (£775,000) just three years after he was rescued.

José Salvador Alvarenga survived for over a year in a small boat in the Pacific Ocean, after heading out for a two-day fishing trip back in 2012.

Alvarenga, a fisherman from Mexico, planned the trip with fellow fisherman, Ezequiel Córdoba, who was 22 at the time.

Initially, the trip was going well, but when a storm began to set in, the men decided to keep fishing and see what else they could catch.

José Salvador Alvarenga was out at sea for over a year. (GIFF JOHNSON/AFP via Getty Images/José Salvador Alvarenga)

It was a decision that they went on to regret.

The men were caught in the storm, which didn’t ease off for a week. They ditched much of their equipment in order to be able to manoeuvre the boat more easily, but unfortunately the fishermen suffered another blow when their motor cut out in the middle of the ocean.

Although they were only 15 miles from the coast at this point, the strong winds pushed them further into the Pacific.

At one point, they were able to radio their boss to tell him what had happened, but unfortunately their radio lost power before he could rescue them.

The boat drifted further away from the shore and the men were totally stranded.

CC: ladbible