--- description: Too sick to travel back to El Salvador, doctors say title: Marshall Islands Castaway Jose Salvador Alvarenga Out of Hospital image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltde093bcdab65f2d0/6988d9b9bc6cfc69913e2a3c/time-logo.jpg?branch=production --- * [World](/section/world/) ## World Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Castaway Released From Hospital  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 7, 2014 12:53 PM CUT  by [Charlotte Alter](/author/charlotte-alter/)  ## Charlotte Alter Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Senior Correspondent Feb 7, 2014 12:53 PM CUT The castaway who washed ashore in the Marshall Islands last week claiming he had been lost at sea for 13 months was [released](http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/07/world/asia/marshall-islands-castaway/index.html?hpt=hp%5Ft2 "undefined") from a hospital for the second time on Friday, officials said. Jose Salvador Alvarenga was [readmitted](http://world.time.com/2014/02/06/castaway-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospitalized/ "undefined") to the hospital Thursday because doctors were concerned about his dehydration, vitamin levels, and swollen legs. He is now staying in a hotel after his latest release, and plans for his return to El Salvador have been postponed, , CNN [reports.](http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/07/world/asia/marshall-islands-castaway/index.html?hpt=hp%5Ft2 "undefined") Alvarenga washed ashore more than a week ago after an ordeal at sea that he says lasted 13 months. He and his younger fishing partner left the Mexican port of Paredon Viejo in December 2012 in order to catch sharks, but his tiny boat was blown off course. He says he survived for over a year by eating raw birds and turtles, and drinking rainwater and urine. Alvarenga is originally from El Salvador, but had been living and working in Mexico. \[[_CNN_](http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/07/world/asia/marshall-islands-castaway/index.html?hpt=hp%5Ft2 "undefined")_\]_ ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/"},"headline":"Castaway Released From Hospital","datePublished":"2014-02-07T12:53:21.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T06:20:16.501Z","description":"Too sick to travel back to El Salvador, doctors say","url":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/","keywords":["Mexico","El Salvador"],"thumbnailUrl":"","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Charlotte Alter","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/charlotte-alter/"}],"articleSection":"World","image":[],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/world/","name":"World"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/","name":"Castaway Released From Hospital"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Castaway Fisherman 'Survives 13 Months' at Sea on Turtle Blood and Fish","description":"A seemingly unbelievable story of survival has media outlets both comparing a Mexican man to Hollywood characters and questioning his story. Jose Alvarenga says he went on what was supposed to be a one-day fishing trip more than a year ago.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/AzqI7Jmu/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2014-02-03T17:29:20.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/AzqI7Jmu.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/","duration":"PT1M43S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/5563/castaway-marshall-islands-jose-salvador-alvarenga-hospital/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```