This archive report was first published on 25 October 2019.
On October 25, 2019, the United States Coast Guard rescued Alvin McCallister, a 72-year-old fisherman, who had been lost at sea for 14 days off the coast of Florida.
McCallister was found on a small rocky islet 200 miles off the nearest coastline, where he had shipwrecked two weeks earlier and managed to survive on seagulls, mussels, and urchins.
Doctors do not fear for his life, but he is being treated for intense hallucinations possibly caused by dehydration and the toxins of unidentified mussels he consumed.
During his ordeal, McCallister made allegations about mermaids that have raised eyebrows.
According to his brother, Timothy McCallister, Alvin described being forced to perform oral sex on the fish-like genitals of mermaids, both male and female.
However, medical experts have cast doubt on these claims, suggesting that McCallister's injuries and inflammation may be self-inflicted.
Despite his unstable mental state, doctors believe McCallister will recover completely in the weeks to come after his body expurgates the toxins he was exposed to.
