Finding such a vessel is a "very difficult search," according to The New York Times, and sea rescues have been historically rare. How do such vessels get lost, and why are they so difficult to find?

Maximo Napa was rescued in his small fishing boat after being spotted by an Ecuadoran vessel off the coast of northern Peru.

His niece, Leyla Torres Napa, said that the family was looking forward to celebrating Castro’s birthday, which passed while he was at sea. “The day of his birth was unique because all that he ...