Looking For Life Raft/Lost At Sea Survivor

[la vida nueva]

I am working on a project. One of our ideas is to interview a person who has been lost at sea. Does anyone know of a living lost-at-sea story, including name?

[Ocean Girl]

Steve Callahan

[boatman61]

Folk thought I was... but I knew exactly where I was...

[bobconnie]

Im with Boatie on this one!! like the old Guide said " me no lost ! Camp Lost "

[Gadagirl]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YK-cvcw3ngM

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by la vida nueva

I am working on a project. One of our ideas is to interview a person who has been lost at sea. Does anyone know of a living lost-at-sea story, including name?

Steven Callahan is a good example of a sea survivor, but according to him, he knew where he was at all times which is why he only turned on his EPIRB (after the initial few hours) when he crossed shipping lanes to save the batteries etc.

Condensed version before his book Adrift came out:

Steven Callahan : People.com

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by thomm225

he only turned on his EPIRB (after the initial few hours) when he crossed shipping lanes to save the batteries etc.

Really? He was unique, then, in that his drift was in 1982 and I didnt know EPIRBs were invented then.

I've only be lost psychologically...

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Really? He was unique, then, in that his drift was in 1982 and I didnt know EPIRBs were invented then.

I've only be lost psychologically...

Several people have said that about knowing whether EPIRBS were around yet. From the article:

Seven times in the course of the 76-day drift he spotted ships, twice within a mile. He fired his flare gun but there was no one on deck to see it. He wasn't bitter. "That's the way it is," he says. "My anger and frustration couldn't bring them topside to see me." Three times he turned on his EPIRB (emergency position-indicating radio beacon), hoping its signal would reach ships or aircraft. To no avail

[GordMay]

The beginnings of SARSAT date back to October 1972 ...

➥ NOAA - Search and Rescue Satellite Aided Tracking - History

Since the inception of Cospas-Sarsat in 1982, distress radiobeacons have assisted in the rescue of over 28,000 people in more than 7,000 distress situations.

➥ Cospas-Sarsat Distress Alerts

➥ http://www.cospas-sarsat.org/en/oper...ies/statistics

[barnakiel]

Steve Callahan. You do not have to interview him. He wrote a book.

b.

[sailcruiser]

Deborah Scaling Kiley wrote a book on her survival at sea called Albatross.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/0395655730?vs=1

She is truly incredibly lucky to have survived.

SC
(No affiliation just read the book)

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Steve Callahan. You do not have to interview him. He wrote a book.

b.

maybe his story has changed and now he admits to being aboard a Russian submarine and having a month in a Cuban resort....

[thomm225]

Originally Posted by barnakiel

Steve Callahan. You do not have to interview him. He wrote a book.

b.

(and) The book is great. He had to do lots of repairs on his vessel (a 6 man Avon liferaft) just like the cruisers on this forum are always saying.

He had to repair/reinvent his water distillers, repair a hole in the raft, and remake his spear gun to name a few.

When he was finally found in site of land by fishermen, he told them to go ahead and fish. He was so acclimated to his situation after 76 days.

He also fashion a makeshift sextant with pencils, and knew he was about 15-18 degrees above the equator. He also knew his speed with a knotted rope I believe he made up. So he knew about when he would make land fall and when he would cross shipping lanes etc..........

Btw, the boat he had been sailing back across the ocean was only 21' 4" long. He had a crew when he sailed over, but was sailing back alone as part of the Mini Transat 6.50 single-handed sailing race.

Adrift:

Adrift: Seventy-six Days Lost at Sea by Steven Callahan | 9780618257324 | Paperback | Barnes & Noble

[SVTatia]

Originally Posted by la vida nueva

I am working on a project. One of our ideas is to interview a person who has been lost at sea. Does anyone know of a living lost-at-sea story, including name?

Living lost-at-sea is an oxymoron. Also, you may have to enlist the higher Powers for this - those who have been lost at sea may not have access to this forum.

Not sure if you mean lost as in navigation or by sinking. Perhaps you mean presumed dead?

There are several books and one totally dedicated - Total Loss - with many accounts on the subject

Total Loss: A Collection of 45 First-Hand Accounts of Yacht Losses at Sea: Jack Coote: 9781574091465: Amazon.com: Books

[MarkJ]

This thread goes to show how few survivors there are who have floated around for a while.
Its either pretty quick find and rescue of nufin....