Man survives on deserted island on two lemons, seawater and charcoal

A Brazilian man managed to survive on a deserted island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro for five days by eating two lemons and a lump of charcoal.

The 51-year-old man, identified as Nelson Nedy, ended up on the island after a wave knocked him down near Grumari beach.

Nedy, who is a gardener by profession, had gone there to admire the beach when the wave dragged him into the sea. "The wave hit me, and I couldn't see anything else," he told Brazilian news outlet G1.

He told the publication that the current swept him almost two miles out and he ended up on the deserted Palmas Island. "There was nothing there. Nothing to hide in, nothing to take shelter in. I had to make a decision to jump in and hunt for another spot," he said recounting his ordeal.

Nedy somehow managed to find a cave to sleep in on his first night on the island before he went out to look for help the next day.

He found a makeshift tent left by local fishermen as well as two lemons on the ground. "I ate them with the skin and everything, so I wouldn't miss anything," he added.

He used a blanket as a flag so someone could spot him, but it did not help. He even tried to swim back to Grumari beach, but the tide pulled him back towards the island.

The following days became all the more difficult for Nedy, with nothing to eat or drink. He even ate a lump of charcoal and drank seawater after seeing the monkeys do the same. But he regretted doing so as it "dried his mouth even more."

The man was rescued after jet skiers spotted him waving his shirt from the island. They alerted the authorities of his whereabouts. He was then airlifted from the island. Nedy did not have any serious health issues and was discharged the same day from the hospital.