Real life castaway sued $1 million for 'eating colleague'

Salvador Alvarenga survived 15 months lost at sea. Photo / Getty Images

A fisherman who survived an incredible 15 months lost at sea is being sued for $1 million by the family of his dead friend who accuse him of staying alive by eating their relative.

Salvador Alvarenga, 36, is the only person known to have survived for over a year at sea. He washed ashore in January last year after spending 438 days adrift.

According to The Telegraph he'd set sail from Mexico for a two-day fishing trip, having paid 22-year-old Ezequiel Cordoba $50 to accompany him.

A storm knocked out the boat's communication systems and washed their supplies overboard.

Mr Alvarenga claims Mr Cordoba panicked following the storm and would try to throw himself overboard where sharks were circling.

He claims the pair survived several months by catching fish and birds and drinking turtle blood and rainwater.

When Mr Cordoba eventually died Mr Alvarenga promised not to eat his corpse.

After keeping the dead body on the boat for six days as company he threw it overboard.

Salvador Alvarenga greets Roselia Diaz, mother of dead castaway Ezequiel Cordoba. Photo / Getty IMages

In March 2014 Mr Alvarenga visited Mr Cordoba's mother and delivered a message from her son.

Media attention and book deals followed as the world was fascinated by Mr Alvarenga's story of survival.

Now, Mr Cordoba's family are accusing him of eating their relative to stay alive and have taken legal action against him.

They've also demanded he hand over 50 per cent of the profit from the book, despite its poor sales.

- nzherald.co.nz