Man adrift for 16 months reaches land

[Johnny Rockets]

Craziness if true.....

 

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/australiaandthepacific/marshallislands/10609011/Cast-away-Shipwrecked-man-makes-land-after-16-months-adrift.html

 

 

An emaciated man survived 16 months adrift at sea, eating turtles, birds and fish and drinking turtle blood, having floated up to 8,000 miles from Mexico to a remote Pacific atoll, it was claimed on Friday.

 

A Norwegian researcher said that the man – who only speaks Spanish and has a long beard – was not in a good condition after his 24-foot fibreglass boat washed up on the reef at Ebon Atoll.

 

[the butch]

16 months in tropic/sub-tropic conditions.  Can you die from sun burn?

[Ja Rhule]

[Doyle]

That link sent me a virus.

[Brooklyn Bully]

Seems a bit far fetched to me. 16 days? Sure. 16 weeks ... maybe. 16 months? No water? Drinking blood instead and trying to get lucky catching said turtles? Not so sure.

[Doyle]

Seems a bit far fetched to me. 16 days? Sure. 16 weeks ... maybe. 16 months? No water? Drinking blood instead and trying to get lucky catching said turtles? Not so sure.

 

Thats what I was thinking.  The members of the Essex were lost for 90 days and that is the longest I've heard of.

[Anybodyhome]

16 months in tropic/sub-tropic conditions.  Can you die from sun burn?

 

Don't think it could be fatal, but severe 2nd degree burns can be incapacitating. 

 

I'm very surprised the article claimed he could walk after spending that much time on a 24' boat hull. I would think there would have been some atrophy associated with his lack of strength, sunburn and dehydration making him rather immobile. Not to mention just 24 feet of space... not a lot of room to walk.

 

Keeping your "sea legs" is physically and mentally exhausting. Your inner ear is always dictating your body movements to maintain equilibrium, and keeping your body in constant motion to counteract the movement of the boat/ship is tiring.

 

I once spent 144 consecutive days at sea on a 567' cruiser and the first time I stepped onto a pier in Freemantle, Australia I had to simply stand in one spot for a few minutes just to acclimate myself to terra firma. I can't imagine a 24' boat in the open ocean, it's best compared to being a cork in a toilet getting swept, bounced, wind-pummeled, etc.

 

I'm just a little skeptical about the story....

 

 

[NCstoner420]

He's able to walk because he absorbed the power of his friend after he ate him. 

[Scrumtrilescent]

Was he with a tiger?

[thefuzz]

I don't think that there is anyway possible to do this.  Maybe, just maybe if he had some tarps and could block out some sunlight and also funnel fresh water into holding vessels.

[Dex]

i call bullshit.

[Rise of The Hive]

I am not buying it either.

[PhillyB]

i can see surviving for 16 months, but the boat staying seaworthy in the pacific for that long seems unlikely.