Survivorman- Lost at Sea
Survivorman’s Les Stroud takes more precautions than usual for his “lost at sea” adventure off the coast of Belize. He is dropped many miles from the coast by his safety crew, which will shadow him throughout the trip to ensure he really doesn’t become lost at sea.
Stroud is abandoned with a standard-issue lifeboat, its supplies, his multitool, and a radio so he can communicate with the safety crew if necessary. The lifeboat opened upside down, and surprisingly, the lifeboat’s supplies aren’t stored in a waterproof bag. It contains hand flares (which react with the water), a waterproof flashlight (which doesn’t work), an emergency navigation chart, goggles, and a rain pouch.
The lifeboat has two air cylinders for flotation (which leak), a tent covering to protect from rain and sun (the zipper is broken), and the rubber floor (which also leaks). Stroud must bail out the raft and reinflate the cylinders every twenty minutes. There is an anchor attached to the lifeboat to keep the raft from swaying wildly, and, like many standard-issue lifeboats), a dinghy is attached for backup.
Because the lifeboat “Susan” takes on so much water, Stroud sleeps in the dinghy to stay dry. He is closer to the water, which heightens the threat of sharks, and the dinghy has no overhead protection. One night the pouring rain sends him back to the lifeboat, but he doesn’t stay dry because the broken zipper lets in the rain and wind. He does, however, manage to gather some water in the rain pouch to ward of dehydration, the greatest risk to a survivor lost at sea.
A thunderstorm moves in. Waiting in the dinghy, Stroud experiences what he says is the eeriest night he has ever spent. The water is flat, the dark is oppressive, and the silence is maddening. Heat lightning cracks in the distance. The storm hits, and Stroud must return to the lifeboat. He has already lost contact with his safety crew several times.
The crew decides it is safest to rope him in for the night so his life raft is tethered to the boat, and they head for a lagoon of a nearby island. In a storm this bad, he could drift far, making it almost impossible for the crew to find him again. The next morning, he goes aboard the ship while they pull the raft back out into the middle of the ocean. He jumps back in and is quickly left alone.
One of the greatest obstacles a survivor faces at sea is the desolation and monotony of the sea. Being alone with no one to calm your fears and no one to be brave for makes survival even more difficult.
After another day baking in the sun, Stroud finally comes within manageable distance of a cay, a small island surrounded by boat- and skin-shredding coral. He gets lucky and manages to beach himself on a sandy shore. In all, he has drifted 78 miles. The safety crew heads back to the mainland now that Stroud is on land.
Stroud discovers that people have been on this island- most likely lobster poachers. Their garbage litters the beach, and a clearing in the middle of the tiny island makes for a good spot to set up shelter. “Shelter” is simply his raft again- he sleeps in the raft to keep off scorpions and crabs. For several days after, however, Stroud battles “stillness illness.” The ground still feels like it’s moving even though he’s on solid land.
He is nearing heatstroke as the temperature hits 102° F. He must go for a swim in the ocean to cool off, but even in that short time, a three-foot shark passes him by.
On the beach he finds a tin can, a plastic bottle, and other useful trash. He sets up a salt-water purifier: he fills half the canister that contained the lifeboat with seawater and plants, places half the plastic bottle in the middle, and covers the whole thing with a piece of plastic tied off with rope. A few rocks in the middle of the plastic, above the cup, ensure the evaporated freshwater drips into the collection cup.
On day five, Stroud searches for food. Coconuts provide more water, but green coconuts alone can cause diarrhea. The mollusk inside the conch shell can be accessed by hitting the point of the conch shell (the weakest part) on a rock until it splits open. The white part animal inside can be eaten raw. Stroud also gathers some sea slugs from the ocean. These he boils over what he calls the easiest fire he ever made: simply gathering coconut husk and bamboo, Stroud sparks a flame by setting off the hand flare above the tinder.
On day seven, Stroud throws a message in a bottle out to see. What was in the bottle? His phone number. He says he is still waiting for someone to call.
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