California man who spent nearly two weeks adrift reunites with Sooke rescuers in Ucluelet

The Story

Alec Frydman says he has kept close ties with the fishermen who saved his life after he spent nearly two weeks adrift in the Pacific in a life raft.

Frydman was found after the vessel he was working on sank off the Washington coast, and he spent days watching ships pass by without seeing him. On the morning of Oct. 26, 2023, he saw a boat that was closest to him and used his last flare and called out, eventually hearing someone on the vessel respond, “We see you. We’re coming.”

According to Frydman, the crew were fishermen from Sooke who were fishing near Tofino aboard the Ocean Sunset. They pulled him onto the boat and fed him breakfast sandwiches, which Frydman said were the first hot meal he had since the wreck. The Canadian Coast Guard was then contacted, and Frydman was warned not to overeat because he was likely malnourished.

Frydman later underwent a check-up in hospital in Tofino and was deemed OK. After being taken toward home to California, he described feeling connected to the men who rescued him, including Capt. John Planes, his son Johnny Planes, and nephews Ryan Planes, Danny George and Allan Planes.

Frydman returned to Vancouver Island last week for the reunion, visiting Ucluelet as the group finished its last fishing trip of the season. He said Ryan Planes was not there because he died this year.

In the reunion, Frydman said John Planes recognized him immediately and hugged him. Danny George said he did not recognize Frydman at first because he had been so skinny during the rescue, and George said he was struck by Frydman’s zest for life during their visit, including Frydman staying with the family in Sooke.

Frydman said the experience has changed him, bringing him closer to his parents and increasing how much he stays in touch. He said he now shares his location with his family, and he described the rescuers as people he thinks about every day, saying, “The feeling of unconditional love you have for your parents is also the way I feel about the guys who rescued me.”

He added, “Because it’s just sort of like you don’t get to choose your parents. You don’t get to choose who rescues you. They become like a big part of your life.”