CF Member Rescued After Being Lost at Sea For 66 Days-Merged

[Steadman Uhlich]

I am always glad when a sailor makes it back after a sinking or disaster like this. So, I am glad he made it.

What follows is not a criticism of the man, his seamanship, his boat, or his rescue.
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I watched the video (interview).

What I found most striking was his apparently good physical condition after 66 days adrift.

Why? Looking at the interview, he appears to be in remarkably good physical condition (e.g. not gaunt). Just looking at him, I would never guess he just got lifted off a boat after starving for 64 days in survival conditions and on survival rations or caught fish.

Instead, I would imagine that anyone adrift for 66 days (and injured with broken collar bone) who subsisted on rain water and fish he caught would look in "worse condition" (e.g. gaunt, emaciated, thin, skinny) than this man.

1. From the interview it appears he was only intending to be gone out fishing for a few days.

2. From the interview it appears he was capsized after just 2 days out on the ocean and the rest of the time was drifting. The interviewer (2:50) asked him a couple of times how far out he was when he capsized, but his answer was vague ("I'm sorry."). So, apparently he drifted for 64 days without steerage or sails and while injured.

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A second example of his remarkable good condition and recovery was that in the interview he says he broke his collarbone, and this kept him from using his right arm. I imagine that was painful and would definitely hinder repairs etc.

So, I was surprised to see the photo of him leaving the Coast Guard helicopter with a loaded daypack slung on his right shoulder. See the photo below from the Guardian newspaper.
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So, an interesting case.

[Prairie Chicken]

I noted his condition on the videos as well. This whole story just smells a bit 'fishy'.

[Saleen411]

So, I was surprised to see the photo of him leaving the Coast Guard helicopter with a loaded daypack slung on his right shoulder. See the photo below from the Guardian newspaper.

I smell FISH!

[RokNRich]

Originally Posted by Prairie Chicken

I noted his condition on the videos as well. This whole story just smells a bit 'fishy'.

Plans to write a book/screenplay ? 60 days is nothing if it took off big time.

[snort]

I think I figured it out: He made it all up and was actually hiking the Appalachian Trail most of the time.

[Suijin]

All I can say is he looks phenomenal for a guy who survived 66 days at sea. Too phenomenal. No sunburn, and his beard, particularly along his cheeks looks barely a week old. He was on the German freighter for @ 3 hours and while food and a shower were probably in order I'm shocked he took the time for trimming his beard, particularly with an injured shoulder. The whole thing strikes me as a bit odd.

However I suppose if he used the boat effectively for shelter and his beard grows slow it's all plausible.

But you know what I think...

ALIENS.

[snort]

On the AT with aliens. Okay, I'll buy that.

[Kenomac]

Will a Bengal tiger be in the movie?

[ontherocks83]

I'm just hoping that the actor portraying him will be talking during the movie

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by Suijin

All I can say is he looks phenomenal for a guy who survived 66 days at sea. Too phenomenal. No sunburn, and his beard, particularly along his cheeks looks barely a week old. He was on the German freighter for @ 3 hours and while food and a shower were probably in order I'm shocked he took the time for trimming his beard, particularly with an injured shoulder. The whole thing strikes me as a bit odd.

However I suppose if he used the boat effectively for shelter and his beard grows slow it's all plausible.

But you know what I think...

ALIENS.

There might have been a barber on the commercial ship that picked him up or in the Coast Guard helicopter.

I would have guessed that after 66 days his hair would have been longer too (look at it barely touching his ears). Maybe my hair grows more quickly than some, but I know after 66 days I would look a lot shaggier and in real need of a hair cut (or at least my ears would be covered over in longer hair.

I suppose I am not as good a survivalist as some.

On the other hand, what else is one to do while adrift for 64 days? Perhaps for some, grooming is a good way to pass the time, as one movie showed, prepare for the storm.

[Cheechako]

"What I found most striking was his apparently good physical condition after 66 days adrift. "
......those were my thoughts also.... something just seems "fishy". I suppose he could have been well stocked food wise etc.... but that doesn't jive with his other preparedness and the pretense that he was just out fishing etc....

[snort]

Originally Posted by Kenomac

Will a Bengal tiger be in the movie?

No, but his pet koala will be making a cameo appearance.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by snort

On the AT with aliens. Okay, I'll buy that.

Didn't some politician use that one already?

[SkiprJohn]

I'm glad he's alive to tell the story. The video interviewer seems to not know much about sailing or sailboats so I think he did a pretty good job considering who he was speaking with. No, he wasn't an experienced sailor. Many here on CF say that you should just buy a boat and go learn how to sail DIY. I'm not one of those folks.

How do you become an experienced sailor if you are fishing the river to survive? You certainly can't pay for lessons.

Curly hair doesn't look unkempt after 66 days. If he was clean shaven when he left that might be 66 days of growth. When you are covered in clothes how can you see if he is or isn't gaunt and how much weight did he have on him when he left?

Some of you folks are pretty hard on the newbies. I say give this guy a break.

[Steadman Uhlich]

Originally Posted by SkiprJohn

I'm glad he's alive to tell the story. The video interviewer seems to not know much about sailing or sailboats so I think he did a pretty good job considering who he was speaking with. No, he wasn't an experienced sailor. Many here on CF say that you should just buy a boat and go learn how to sail DIY. I'm not one of those folks.

How do you become an experienced sailor if you are fishing the river to survive? You certainly can't pay for lessons.

Curly hair doesn't look unkempt after 66 days. If he was clean shaven when he left that might be 66 days of growth. When you are covered in clothes how can you see if he is or isn't gaunt and how much weight did he have on him when he left?

Some of you folks are pretty hard on the newbies. I say give this guy a break.

Good points.