Surviving 133 days at sea

Poon Lim Survived one hundred thirty(SP?) three days at sea on life raft after the ship he was serving on SS Ben Lomond was sunk by a U boat. The story is told in the book Sole Survivor . ISBN 0-590-43605-8
The book is an OK read some diagrams showing how Poon dried and salted fish and collected rain water would have been useful.


Poon didn't have a great deal of training the ability to inprise(SP?) including using a life as a fishing line and turning a tin lid into a knife is what him alive. Having not been picked by a passing ship and later plane he was eventually picked up by fish men which finally saw the end of his ordeal.

Despite nearly dying of hungry and thirst at one stage he resorted to eating a sea bird the circumstances such as the weather favoured him as much they ever would in such a situation.

Poon Lim initially kept himself alive by drinking the water and eating the food on the raft, but later resorted to catching rainwater in a canvas tarp and fishing. He could not swim very well and often tied a rope from the boat to his wrist, in case he fell into the ocean. He took a wire from the electric torch and made it into a fishhook, and used hemp rope as a fishing line.

source

Any way I thought that this was worth sharing with fellow members who take more of a interest in survival topics then I do.

I love the "lost at sea" survival stories, They have to keep it together more than someone in a land scenario. I’ve read that when lost at sea, you must ignore all emotions. If your best friend hallucinates and walks off the raft you have to leave him go, because once you lose that "cool" everything falls apart.

Well this topic hasn't gotten many nibbles . From what I have read in this forum people may put to much stock into the likes of bug out kits. If your stranded at sea or you survive a plane crash the chances are that you will only be left with the resources around you rather then the gear acquired over the years.

That is another reason why the ability to inprise(SP?) is one of the most important survival skills. That should be something for the reader to think about.

Improvise.

Yes, it's an important ability, but at the very least, by thinking about preparedness, the people in this forum have at least something of an advantage over someone who does not - I know that I have ended up reading a lot of information that will stick with me, things like how to find water in myriad different places and situations... Being prepared with a kit is great, but being mentally prepared is more important. Getting one together helps you get to the second stage, imho.

In Harms Way is a great book about the USS Indianapolis.

If you're not familiar with the tale, the Indianapolis carried the first nuke accross the Pacific. It was a top secret mission. After dropping off the bomb, it was making its way to another port whrn it was sunk by a Japanese sub.

Since it was a top secret mission, it's whereabouts wasn't fully reported.

Out of a crew of approx 1200 men, 880 (I think) survived. However, over the next few day hundreds died through exposure, thirst, but most harrowing of all, shark attacks.

After being sighted by a Catalina, only 320 men were left upon eventual rescue.

Tragically, the captain had the blame for the sinking attributed to him. But even as of a short while ago, the veterens of the sinking were pushing for his name to be rightfully cleared.