A 61-year-old fisherman who miraculously survived being lost at sea since December, has been released from the hospital days after being rescued.

The man, identified by the news agency AFP as Maximo Napa, was spotted Tuesday in the Pacific Ocean about 680 miles off of the Ecuadorian coast.

The Peruvian navy had been searching for the boat for months. It released images of his rescue. In a Facebook post, the navy said he was rescued by the Ecuadorian boat Don F and the Maritime Patrol’s Rio Piura.

Mr. Napa received “immediate medical attention” on the maritime boat before being taken to shore. He was then taken to a hospital for further treatment for dehydration. He was released on Saturday.

“I didn’t want to die,” Mr. Napa told local media. “My mother is still alive. I didn’t want to die for my mother. I have a two-month-old granddaughter.”

Mr. Napa left the port of San Juan de Marcona and had enough food for the two weeks he planned to spend fishing, Reuters reported.

Peru’s state news agency Andina reported that bad weather pushed Mr. Napa from his course and he lost his direction. He didn’t have a radio beacon on his boat which made it harder for crews to find him.

After the food ran out Mr. Napa said he ate insects, birds, and turtles to survive. He also collected and drank rainwater.

Mr. Napa’s mother said she feared the worst as time went on.

“I told the Lord, whether he’s alive or dead, just bring him back to me, even if it’s just to see him,” Elena Castrol said, according to the Reuters report.

She added that her daughters never lost faith.

“It’s a miracle from God that they found my dad,” Ines Napa Torres told RPP radio. “Because we, as a family, never lost hope of finding him.”

Ms. Torres thanked the rescuers who found her father. “God bless you,” she said in a Facebook post.