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Adrift for 3 months, a man and his dog lived on raw fish until rescued by fishermen

The Associated Press

Australian Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock gives a thumbs up during a welcoming ceremony with Grupo Mar President Antonio Suarez, left, and Oscar Meza Oregó, captain of the Mexican tuna boat "Maria Delia," after being rescued from sea and arriving to port in Manzanillo, Mexico, Tuesday, July 18, 2023. Fernando Llano/AP hide caption

Australian Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock gives a thumbs up during a welcoming ceremony with Grupo Mar President Antonio Suarez, left, and Oscar Meza Oregó, captain of the Mexican tuna boat "Maria Delia," after being rescued from sea and arriving to port in Manzanillo, Mexico, Tuesday, July 18, 2023.

MANZANILLO, Mexico — An Australian sailor who was rescued by a Mexican tuna boat after being adrift at sea with his dog for three months said Tuesday that he is grateful to be alive after setting foot on dry land for the first time since their ordeal began.

Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, 54, disembarked in the Mexican city of Manzanillo after being examined on board the boat that rescued him, the Maria Delia.

"I'm feeling alright. I'm feeling a lot better than I was, I tell ya," Shaddock, smiling, bearded and thin, told reporters on the dock in the port city about 210 miles (337 kilometers) west of Mexico City.

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"To the captain and fishing company that saved my life, I'm just so grateful. I'm alive and I didn't really think I'd make it," Shaddock said, adding that he and his "amazing" dog Bella are both doing well.

Shaddock described himself as a quiet person who loves being alone on the ocean. Asked why he set out in April from Mexico's Baja Peninsula to cross the Pacific Ocean to French Polynesia, he was initially at a loss.

"I'm not sure I have the answer to that, but I very much enjoy sailing and I love the people of the sea," he said. "It's the people of the sea that make us all come together. The ocean is in us. We are the ocean."

The Sydney man's catamaran set sail from the Mexican city of La Paz but was crippled by bad weather weeks into the journey. He said the last time he saw land was in early May as he sailed out of the Sea of Cortez and into the Pacific. There was a full moon.

Shaddock said he had been well-provisioned, but a storm knocked out his electronics and ability to cook. He and Bella survived on raw fish.

"There were many, many, many bad days and many good days," he said.

"The energy, the fatigue is the hardest part," he said. He passed the time fixing things and stayed positive by going into the water to "just enjoy being in the water."

When the tuna boat's helicopter spotted Shaddock's catamaran about 1,200 miles (1,930 kilometers) from land, it was the first sign of humans he had seen in three months, Shaddock said. The pilot tossed him a drink and then flew away, returning later with a speed boat from the María Delia, he said.

Grupomar, which operates the fishing fleet, didn't specify when the rescue occurred. But it said in a statement that Shaddock and his dog were in a "precarious" state when found, lacking provisions and shelter, and that the tuna boat's crew gave them medical attention, food and hydration.

Shaddock said the tuna boat became his land and that Bella was an immediate hit with the crew. He also explained how he and the dog met.

The crew of the Mexican tuna boat "Maria Delia" pose for photos with Bella, the dog of Australian Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, both of whom they rescued from a incapacitated catamaran in the Pacific Ocean, as they bring the pair to port in Manzanillo, Mexico, Tuesday, July. 18, 2023. Fernando Llano/AP hide caption

The crew of the Mexican tuna boat "Maria Delia" pose for photos with Bella, the dog of Australian Timothy Lyndsay Shaddock, both of whom they rescued from a incapacitated catamaran in the Pacific Ocean, as they bring the pair to port in Manzanillo, Mexico, Tuesday, July. 18, 2023.

"Bella sort of found me in the middle of Mexico. She's Mexican," he said. "She's the spirit of the middle of the country and she wouldn't let me go. I tried to find a home for her three times and she just kept following me onto the water. She's a lot braver than I am, that's for sure."

Perhaps for that reason, Bella did not leave the boat until Shaddock had driven away Tuesday. He had already chosen Genaro Rosales, a crew member from Mazatlan, to adopt her on the condition that he would take good care of the dog.

Shaddock said he'll be returning to Australia soon and that he's looking forward to seeing his family.

There have been other stories of extreme ocean survival, but they do not all end happily.

In 2016, a Colombian fisherman was rescued after spending two months adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Three of his crewmates died. He was rescued by a merchant ship more than 2,000 miles (3.220 kilometers) southeast of Hawaii. He and the others had been fishing off Colombia's coast when their skiff's motor failed, leaving them adrift.

In 2014, a Salvadoran fisherman washed ashore on the tiny Pacific atoll of Ebon in the Marshall Islands after drifting at sea for 13 months. Jose Salvador Alvarenga left Mexico for a day of shark fishing in December 2012. He said he survived on fish, birds and turtles before his boat washed ashore 5,500 miles (8,850 kilometers) away.

In other cases, boats are found, but without survivors or are lost entirely.

More than 20,000 migrants have died trying to cross the Mediterranean Sea to Europe since 2014, according to the International Organization for Migration.

Antonio Suarez, Grupomar's president, said Tuesday that this could be the María Delia's final trip because he is modernizing the company's fleet and the boat is its smallest and is more than 50 years old.

If so, it would be a "marvelous farewell, saving human lives," Suarez said.

• Pacific Ocean

Sailboat crew rescued in Pacific after abandoning ship sunk by whale

Four people aboard the raindancer were stranded in the pacific ocean for 10 hours.

His circumstances sounded straight out of “Moby-Dick,” but Rick Rodriguez wasn’t kidding. In his first text messages from the life raft, he said he was in serious trouble.

“Tommy this is no joke,” he typed to his friend and fellow sailor Tommy Joyce. “We hit a whale and the ship went down.”

“Tell as many boats as you can,” Rodriguez also urged. “Battery is dangerously low.”

On March 13, Rodriguez and three friends were 13 days into what was expected to be a three-week crossing from the Galápagos to French Polynesia on his 44-foot sailboat, Raindancer. Rodriguez was on watch, and he and the others were eating a vegetarian pizza for lunch around 1:30 p.m. In an interview with The Washington Post later conducted via satellite phone, Rodriguez said the ship had good winds and was sailing at about 6 knots when he heard a terrific BANG!

“The second pizza had just come out of the oven, and I was dipping a slice into some ranch dressing,” he said. “The back half of the boat lifted violently upward and to starboard.”

The sinking itself took just 15 minutes, Rodriguez said. He and his friends managed to escape onto a life raft and a dinghy. The crew spent just 10 hours adrift, floating about nine miles before a civilian ship plucked them from the Pacific Ocean in a seamless predawn maneuver. A combination of experience, technology and luck contributed to a speedy rescue that separates the Raindancer from similar catastrophes .

“There was never really much fear that we were in danger,” Rodriguez said. “Everything was in control as much as it could be for a boat sinking.”

It wasn’t lost on Rodriguez that the story that inspired Herman Melville happened in the same region. The ship Essex was also heading west from the Galápagos when it was rammed by a sperm whale in 1820, leaving the captain and some crew to endure for roughly three months and to resort to cannibalism before being rescued.

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There have been about 1,200 reports of whales and boats colliding since a worldwide database launched in 2007, said Kate Wilson, a spokeswoman for the International Whaling Commission. Collisions that cause significant damage are rare, the U.S. Coast Guard said, noting that the last rescue attributed to damage from a whale was the sinking of a 40-foot J-Boat in 2009 off Baja California, with that crew rescued by Coast Guard helicopter.

Alana Litz was the first to see what she now thinks was a Bryde’s whale as long as the boat. “I saw a massive whale off the port aft side with its side fin up in the air,” Litz said.

Rodriguez looked to see it bleeding from the upper third of its body as it slipped below the water.

Bianca Brateanu was below cooking and got thrown in the collision. She rushed up to the deck while looking to the starboard and saw a whale with a small dorsal fin 30 to 40 feet off that side, leading the group to wonder whether at least two whales were present.

Within five seconds of impact, an alarm went off indicating the bottom of the boat was filling with water, and Rodriguez could see it rushing in from the stern.

Water was already above the floor within minutes. Rodriguez made a mayday call on the VHF radio and set off the Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB). The distress signal was picked up by officials in Peru, who alerted the U.S. Coast Guard District 11 in Alameda, Calif., which is in charge of U.S. vessels in the Pacific.

The crew launched the inflatable life raft, as well as the dinghy, then realized they needed to drop the sails, so that line attaching the life raft didn’t snap as it got dragged behind the still-moving Raindancer.

Rodriguez grabbed his snorkel gear and a tarp and jumped into the water to see whether he could plug the holes, but it was futile. The area near the propeller shaft was badly punched in, he said.

Meanwhile, the others had gathered safety equipment, emergency gear and food. In addition to bottled water, they filled “water bottles, tea kettles and pots” before the salt water rose above the sink, Rodriguez said.

“There was no emotion,” Rodriguez recalled. “While we were getting things done, we all had that feeling, ‘I can’t believe this is happening,’ but it didn’t keep us from doing what we needed to do and prepare ourselves to abandon ship.”

Rodriguez and Simon Fischer handed the items down to the women in the dinghy, but in the turmoil, they left a bag with their passports behind. They stepped into the water themselves just as the deck went under.

Rodriguez swam to the life raft, climbed in and looked back to see the last 10 feet of the mast sinking “at an unbelievable speed,” he said. As the Raindancer slipped away, he pulled a Leatherman from his pocket and cut the line that tethered the life raft to the boat after Litz noticed it was being pulled taut.

They escaped with enough water for about a week and with a device for catching rain, Rodriguez said. They had roughly three weeks worth of food, and a fishing pole.

The Raindancer “was well-equipped with safety equipment and multiple communication devices and had a trained crew to handle this open-ocean emergency until a rescue vessel arrived,” said Douglas Samp, U.S. Coast Guard Pacific area search and rescue program manager. He cautioned that new technology should not replace the use of an EPIRB, which has its own batteries.

Indeed, the one issue the crew faced was battery power. Their Iridium Go, a satellite WiFi hotspot, was charged to only 32 percent (dropping to 18 percent before the rescue). The phone that pairs with it was at 40 percent, and the external power bank was at 25 percent.

Rodriguez sent his first message to Joyce, who was sailing a boat on the same route about 180 miles behind. His second was to his brother, Roger, in Miami. He repeated most of what he had messaged to Joyce, adding: “Tell mom it’s going to be okay.”

Rodriguez’s confidence was earned. A 31-year-old from Tavernier, Fla., he had spent about 10 years working as a professional yacht captain, mate and engineer. He bought the Raindancer in 2021 and lived on her, putting sweat equity into getting the boat, built in 1976, ready for his dream trip.

Both he and Brateanu, 25, from Newcastle, England, have mariner survival training. Litz, 32, from Comox, British Columbia, was formerly a firefighter in the Canadian military. Fischer, 25, of Marsberg, Germany, had the least experience, but “is a very levelheaded guy,” Rodriguez said.

Rodriguez gave detailed information on their location and asked his brother to send a message via WhatsApp to Joyce, who has a Starlink internet connection that he checks more frequently than his Iridium Go. Because of his low battery, he told his brother that he was turning the unit off and would check it in two hours.

Rodriguez also activated a Globalstar SPOT tracker, which transmitted the position of the life raft every few minutes, and he broadcast a mayday call every hour using his VHF radio.

When he turned the Iridium Go back on at the scheduled time, there was a reply from Joyce: “We got you bud.”

As luck would have it, the Raindancer was sailing the same route as about two dozen boats participating in a round-the-world yachting rally called the World ARC. BoatWatch, a network of amateur radio operators that searches for people lost at sea, was also notified. And the urgent broadcast issued by the Coast Guard was answered by a commercial ship, Dong-A Maia, which said it was 90 miles to the south of Raindancer and was changing course.

“We have a bunch of boats coming. We got you brother,” Joyce typed.

“Can’t wait to see you guys,” Rodriguez replied.

Joyce told Rodriguez that the closest boat was “one day maximum.”

In fact, the closest boat was a 45-foot catamaran not in the rally. The Rolling Stones was only about 35 miles away. The captain, Geoff Stone, 42, of Muskego, Wis., had the mayday relayed to him by a friend sailing about 500 miles away. He communicated with Joyce via WhatsApp and with the Peruvian coast guard using a satellite phone to say they were heading to the last known coordinates.

In the nine hours it took to reach the life raft, Stone told The Post, he and the other three men on his boat were apprehensive about how the rescue was going to work.

“The seas weren’t terrible, but we’ve never done a search and rescue,” he said. He wasn’t sure whether they would be able to find the life raft without traveling back and forth.

He was surprised when Fischer spotted the Rolling Stones’ lights from about five miles away and made contact on the VHF radio.

Once it got closer, Rodriguez set off a parachute flare, then activated a personal beacon that transmits both GPS location and AIS (Automatic Identification System) to assist in the approach. Although the 820-foot Dong-A Maia, a Panamanian-flagged tanker, was standing by, it made more sense to be rescued by the smaller ship.

To board the Rolling Stones, the crew from the Raindancer transferred to the dinghy with a few essentials, then detached the life raft so it wouldn’t get caught in the boat’s propeller.

“We were 30 or 40 feet away when we started to make out each other’s figures. There was dead silence,” Rodriguez said. “They were curious what kind of emotional state we were in. We were curious who they were.”

“I yelled out howdy” to break the ice, he explained.

One by one, they jumped onto the transom. “All of a sudden, us four were sitting in this new boat with four strangers,” Rodriguez said.

The hungry sailors were given fresh bread, then were offered showers. The Rolling Stones crew gave their guests toothbrushes, deodorant and clothes. None even had shoes.

Rodriguez said he had tried not to think about losing his boat while the crisis was at hand. But, the first morning he woke up on Rolling Stones, it hit him. Not only had he lost his home and belongings, but he also felt as if he’d lost “a good friend.”

“I’ve worked so hard to be here, and have been dreaming of making landfall at the Bay of Virgins in the Marquesas on my own boat for about 10 years. And 1,000 nautical miles short, my boat sinks,” Rodriguez said.

The Rolling Stones is expected to arrive in French Polynesia on Wednesday, and Rodriguez is glad that he’s onboard.

“I feel very lucky and grateful that we were rescued so quickly,” he said. “We were in the right place at the right time to go down.”

Karen Schwartz is a writer based in Fort Collins, Colo. Follow her on Twitter @WanderWomanIsMe .

A previous version of this article misstated the size of the J-boat that sank in 2009. It was 40 feet.

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Rescued at sea: After a whale sank their sailboat, Florida crew stranded in South Pacific

• A 44-foot sailing ship, Raindancer, was hit by a whale on March 13, sinking the boat in the South Pacific.
• The four people on board were adrift in a life raft and dinghy with a satellite phone and some supplies.
• Phone calls, texts and social media helped lead another ship, the Rolling Stones, to rescue the castaways in about 10 hours.

A lifelong dream sailing trip turned into a potentially life-threatening ordeal for a four-person crew after a whale shipwrecked their boat.

Rick Rodriguez, owner of the sailing ship Raindancer, and three crewmembers onboard were amidst a voyage of more than 3,000 nautical miles to French Polynesia in the South Pacific. The 44-foot cruising boat had left the Galapagos at the end of February, after passing through the Panama Canal three weeks earlier.

The crew would make it to French Polynesia, but not in the manner expected.

More than halfway to the Marquesas Islands, disaster struck: They were eating homemade pizza for lunch "when it felt like we ran into a concrete wall," Rodriguez recalled in a note posted March 14 on the Facebook Boatwatch Group .

"I heard a loud crashing noise simultaneous with a metal clanking. I heard (crewmember) Alana (Litz) yell, 'we hit a whale,' then I looked to port and saw a huge whale, and blood gushing out of the side of it as it began swimming down."

"It felt like a scene out of a movie," Litz told NBC's Today show during an interview posted Wednesday . 

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A whale of an emergency in the South Pacific

A former professional yacht captain, Rodriguez saw that the collision "opened up multiple holes (and) cracks near the stern of the boat and the water was up to the floorboards within about 30 seconds. Maybe less," he said in a post on Instagram .

About the boat, which he purchased in 2021 and had lived on, Rodriguez said, "I made attempts to save the boat but I was, unfortunately, unsuccessful."

The crew quickly gathered safety equipment, some supplies including water, emergency gear and  electronics including a satellite phone, satellite Wi-Fi hotspot and a power bank. The dinghy was launched and loaded. Rodriguez used a VHF radio on board to make a mayday call and set off an emergency beacon, he told The Washington Post .

Before Raindancer "took her last breath about 15 minutes after she got hit," Rodriguez said, the crew were in a dinghy and a lifeboat was deployed. "I’m proud of the way our crew handled the situation, and the first priority on any boat is always the safety of the crew and passengers," he said on Instagram.

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Now adrift, seafarers awaited rescue

Rodriguez, 31, of Tavernier, Florida, activated a Globalstar SPOT tracker, which regularly transmits its location, and continued sending a mayday call hourly on the radio, The Post reported.

Meanwhile, the crew's distress signal had been picked up by officials in Peru, who alerted the U.S. Coast Guard, The Post reported. 

A commercial ship 90 miles to the south changed course toward the castaways after getting an urgent broadcast from the Coast Guard and there were also about two dozen boats participating in an around-the-world yachting rally sailing a similar route, the Post reported.

With the crew in the dinghy and life raft, Rodriguez sent a text message to friend Tommy Joyce, a sailor whose boat was about 180 miles behind on the same route, as a safety precaution..

“Tommy this is no joke,” he typed. “We hit a whale and the ship went down.”

“Tell as many boats as you can,” Rodriguez said. “Battery is dangerously low.”

Rodriguez also texted his brother, Roger, in Miami, to let him and his mother know the situation. He also asked his brother to relay their location via WhatsApp to Joyce. 

Online lifeline helps save South Pacific castaways

Joyce also posted a note about the incident on the Facebook page for  Boatwatch , a volunteer network of amateur radio operators who search for missing boats and people lost at sea.

"It was the Boatwatch group that ended up having somebody on there who knew" a 45-foot catamaran called the Rolling Stones was the closest boat, Joyce told Today.

"I think we were about 60-65 miles away when we realized that we were the closest boat," the boat's captain Geoff Stone told Today. 

Stone of Muskego, Wisconsin, was circumnavigating the globe aboard the Rolling Stones, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel , part of the USA TODAY Network.

When they learned about the boat's dilemma, the crew didn't hesitate. "It was going to take us a while to get there, but we were going to change our course," said Mark Moriarty, Stone's father-in-law, who was also on board.

When Rodriguez turned on the satellite radio and hotspot two hours later, there was a message from Joyce: “We got you bud.”

Rescue ship used beacon, coordinates for nighttime recovery

Just more than nine hours later, the crew on Rolling Stones saw the flashing light of the dinghy and rescued the castaways. As the Rolling Stones approached, they spotted a beacon and a flare and the crews communicated via radio.

"I thought for sure the hardest part was going to be locating them," Stone said. "Luckily with the new technologies ... the latest coordinates we were given was all very accurate."

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Stone, reached on his vessel on the way to an island in French Polynesia, told the Journal Sentinel the last few days have been "a real humbling experience."

"The right place at the right time to help them out was just by chance," he said. "I'm really glad and happy that we were able to do that."

Rodriguez mourned the loss of his ship, Raindancer, on Instagram, saying it "had all my belongings on it … it was my ticket to exploring the world, she was my refuge, my rock, the one place I could be where I felt myself, she was my friend, I would give to her and she would give back memories, lessons, and stories. … In the end, she was lost at sea, and left myself and the crew with one last incredible story."

Contributing: Bill Glauber of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Follow Mike Snider on Twitter:  @mikesnider .

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New Jersey men lost in the Atlantic Ocean for 10 days on Atrevida II recount their experience: 'Small miracle'

Kevin hyde, 65, and joe ditomasso, 76, in the atrevida ii were spotted in the atlantic ocean by the silver muna.

'Atrevida II' crew stranded after sailing from New Jersey were rescued by tanker

The crew of a tanker, The Silver Muna, spotted and safely rescued Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, who were missing for 10 days after their vessel, the Atrevida II, was pushed out to sea by a storm and lost power. Video by crew of Silver Muna.

Two men and a dog who were lost at sea for 10 days after they set sail from New Jersey to Florida, said they relied on prayer and were miraculously saved.

Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, were spotted by a tanker in the Atlantic Ocean after they set sail on Hyde's sailboat, named the "Atrevida II," on Dec. 3 and were not heard from again.

The two men said during a press conference Wednesday evening on Staten Island they were swept off course by a storm — but survived with a little faith.

A photo illustration of Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, who were rescued by a tanker after they were lost at sea for 10 days.  (U.S. Coast Guard)

"It's just kind of a small miracle that we were found at all," Hyde said, according to FOX 5 New York.

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"All I asked the Lord was to see my granddaughter," Ditomasso added during the presser.

The two men and Ditomasso’s 13-year-old Bichon Poodle mix, who was on the sailboat with them, made a stop in Oregon Inlet, North Carolina, and then were not heard from again after a storm with mountain-sized waves pushed them further out to sea, they said.

"A huge storm blew up and blew us off course," Hyde said.

The crew from the Hong Kong-flagged tanker, Silver Muna, recovers two men and their dog that were aboard a sailboat that had been adrift for several days in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 13 2022.  (Courtesy video by the crew of the Silver Muna)

The sailboat lost power and ran out of fuel, they said. Its mast was also destroyed.

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Ditomasso added: "40-foot seas — there were mountains, I was watching them."

The men never reached their intended destination in Florida and their families reported them missing on Dec. 11.

The crew from the Hong Kong-flagged tanker, Silver Muna, located the missing sailboat and its crew that had been adrift for 10 days in the Atlantic Ocean, Dec. 13 2022.  (Courtesy video by the crew of the Silver Muna)

Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, on the Atrevida II, being rescued by the tanker, The Silver Muna. (U.S. Coast Guard)

Atrevida II from Cape May, New Jersey (U.S. Coast Guard Mid-Atlantic)

The U.S. Coast Guard launched a large search-and-rescue effort, involving planes, helicopters, and boats to cover more than 21,000 square miles from Massachusetts to Florida. A U.S. Navy cruiser also assisted in the search, as well as a number of commercial and recreational vessels, FOX 5 New York reported.

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After they were missing for 10 days, the two men were found by a tanker, The Silver Muna.

"The #USCG, with assistance from the tanker vessel Silver Muna, located the #boat 214 miles east of Delaware," the Coast Guard said. "The Atrevida II was found to be without fuel and power, rendering their radios and navigation equipment inoperable."

"We were waving and stuff like that because by that time, my mast was down, all systems were mute, we were just kind of hanging on to the boat," Hyde recalled. "It's like finding a needle in a haystack in this situation."

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Captain Neerah Chaudhary said he too was praying for the men, who he safely rescued.

"We rescued them with our crane, cargo net," Chaudhary said, according to the report. "I was praying, 'God save them, our rescue should be successful.'"

The two men aboard the Atrevida II were recovered after being spotted by the crew of the Silver Muna and later transferred to Coast Guard Station New York where they were reunited with family and friends. (Courtesy video by the crew of the Silver Muna)

Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, after they were rescued after being stranded on Ditomasso's sailboat named "Atrevida II." (U.S. Coast Guard)

Chaudhary brought the men and the dog into New York Harbor, where the Coast Guard reunited with their families. 

"This is an excellent example of the maritime community’s combined efforts to ensure safety of life at sea," said Cmdr. Daniel Schrader, the spokesperson for Coast Guard Atlantic Area. "We are overjoyed with the outcome of the case and look forward to reuniting Mr. Hyde and Mr. Ditomasso with their family and friends. "

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He added: "We also want to highlight the importance of proper safety equipment and preparedness when going to sea. Having an emergency position indicating radio beacon, or ‘EPIRB’, allows mariners to immediately make contact with first responders in an emergency."

As for the men, they said they are happy to be home and are looking forward to celebrating Christmas.

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41 Days Stranded at Sea: The Harrowing, Heartbreaking Real-Life Story Behind New Movie 'Adrift'

"It's amazing what you can do when you have to survive," says shipwreck survivor Tami Oldham Ashcraft

Spoiler Alert! This story contains major spoilers about the plot of the new movie Adrift .

The summer of 1983 started out like a fairytale adventure for 23-year-old globetrotter Tami Oldham Ashcraft.

The California native got engaged to her British boyfriend, Richard Sharp, and several months later the two experienced sailors set out on a dream trip from Tahiti to San Diego on a luxurious 44-foot sailboat. Less than two weeks into their trek, the pair — played by Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin in the new movie Adrift — were trapped in a devastatingly strong hurricane that changed their lives forever.

Ashcraft, who originally detailed her ordeal in a 1998 self-published memoir Red Sky in Mourning , says that although she and Sharp received radio warnings about the developing storm, which started out as a tropical depression and quickly gained in intensity and speed, they were unable to outrun it.

“We ran from it for three days trying to figure it out, because it kept changing direction,” Ashcraft recalls to PEOPLE. “The storms are going twice your speed. We couldn’t make that kind of time with the boat to get out of the way.”

When the hurricane fully descended upon them on Oct. 12, Sharp had sent Ashcraft below deck to rest. The last thing she remembers before the boat capsized and she was knocked unconscious is her fiancé screaming.

“When I woke up from being knocked out for 27 hours, I didn’t know where I was,” she recalls. “I was like, ‘Where am I?’ The boat’s half-full of water at that point, I couldn’t even really remember anything. Then I started moving and unlatching myself [from her safety suit and various debris], looking around going, ‘Oh my God. Richard. Where’s Richard?'”

All she could find of Sharp in the midst of the wreckage was his broken safety tether hanging lifelessly over the boat. While the reality of her grave situation swept over her, so did the awareness that she was badly injured — her head was split open behind her hairline and she had a serious gash on her leg — and drifting aimlessly somewhere in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.

“They were both bad. My head injury I could keep clean somewhat, keep bandages on it,” says Ashcraft. “Thank goodness it’s underneath my hairline so you can’t see it. It splayed my head wide open, and I just bled. My leg I kept hitting on everything, and then there was so much water in the boat. It would just stay wet all the time. I was super worried about my leg. Then I started ripping up t-shirts and stuff when I ran out of bandages.”

After she self-administered first aid, Ashcraft’s next key survival move was crafting a makeshift sail from some of the debris on the boat and setting course for Hawaii — 1,500 miles away — which she was able to do via her navigation skills.

“What saved my life was knowing celestial navigation, that I could navigate by the sun and get myself somewhere,” Ashcraft says. “You have to do three sights a day, and sometimes I would have to do four. Doing all the mathematics required for that really helped me to focus.”

RELATED VIDEO: Two American Women and Their Dogs Rescued After Five ‘Hopeless’ Months Lost At Sea

It also helped keep her mind off her grief over losing her fiancé in such a tragic way.

“I had to tell myself onboard that I couldn’t cry anymore, because I was losing way too much water,” Ashcraft says. “My water supply was very limited. I just had a big talk with myself. That inner strength to survive is so strong. You just don’t realize it, until you’re put in a really crucial time that you have to survive. It’s amazing what you can do. That just comes from within really. Then keeping your mind active.”

Ashcraft survived 41 days adrift in the Pacific, subsisting on peanut butter and willpower, before she approached Hilo, Hawaii and was picked up by a Japanese research vessel after sending up a flare around 4 o’clock in the morning.

The ship’s crew members “were shocked,” she recalls. “I was exhausted. I was way underweight — I’m 5’8″-5’9″ and I weighed about 100 lbs. I didn’t even go to the hospital. Can you believe that? I can’t believe nobody sent me to the hospital.”

When Ashcraft returned home to San Diego, the weight of her near-death experience and the loss of her first love fully set in, and she face a long recovery from her injuries, physically and mentally.

“I had the head injury and I couldn’t even read a book for nearly five years. I couldn’t finish sentences, my short term memory was really bad,” she says. “Seeing couples together, that sort of thing, was hard. I had nightmares. I was consumed for years and years with thinking about it. I then realized after five or six years that I could choose when to start thinking about him and the experience. I started realizing, ‘Oh, I’m not consumed by this all day now.'”

Although Ashcraft says her physical injuries healed well enough that she never went to a hospital for medical attention, she regrets not seeking out help from a therapist or counselor.

“I wish I had gotten some professional mental help. I think I could have sped up my recovery a little bit more,” she says. “Not so much the grieving but the mental recovery of reading and that kind of thing. They can give you projects to work on and things, and also just make sure that you’re going around the right track.”

Ashcraft says it took her a full five years before she was able to come out of her mental fog and feel joy again. She returned to the water almost immediately — only these days she prefers power boating to sailing when she navigates near Washington’s San Juan Islands, where she lives with her family, husband Ed, a contractor, and her two daughters.

“We’ve been a boating family,” she says. “I think it teaches the children so much more about life.”

Ashcraft still speaks publicly about her incredible survival story to groups like the Navy Survival School. “I’m glad to help, although I’m sorry I was in that situation. Now I choose when I want to think about it. For many years I was consumed by it and a lot of that had to do with just moving on in life,” she says. “It’s still in your heart. It’s just in a different way.”

Adrift is now playing in theaters.

2 boaters and their dog found safe after being stranded at sea

Two boaters and their dog were found alive Tuesday, 10 days after they'd last been heard from, the Coast Guard said.

Kevin Hyde, 65, and Joe Ditomasso, 76, had intended to sail from New Jersey to Florida. They were last heard from Dec. 3 as they left North Carolina, the Coast Guard said in a statement .

Their boat was out of fuel and had no power, which meant their radios didn't work, but they were able to flag down the crew of the tanker Silver Muna around 214 miles off Delaware, the Coast Guard said.

“Hyde and Ditomasso gained the attention of the Silver Muna crew by waiving their arms and a flag,” the Coast Guard said.

They had no immediate health concerns, it said.

The Coast Guard will take the pair and their dog to New York, the tanker's next port of call, where they will be evaluated, it said.

“We are overjoyed with the outcome of the case and look forward to reuniting Mr. Hyde and Mr. Ditomasso with their family and friends,” Cmdr. Daniel Schrader said in the statement.

Schrader used the experience to highlight the importance of safety equipment, like emergency position indicating radio beacons that allow boaters to contact first responders.

The Coast Guard, the Navy and other agencies and services searched more than 21,164 square miles of water in all, the Coast Guard said.

Antonio Planas is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. 

Phil Helsel is a reporter for NBC News.

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Shipwrecked: A Shocking Tale of Love, Loss, and Survival in the Deep Blue Sea

Illustration by Comrade

A drift in the middle of the ocean, no one can hear you scream.

It was a lesson Brad Cavanagh was learning by the second. He had been above deck on the Trashman , a sleek, 58-foot Alden sailing yacht with a pine-green hull and elegant teak trim, battling 100-mile-per-hour winds as sheets of rain fell from the turbulent black sky. The latest news report had mentioned nothing about bad weather, but two days into his voyage a tropical storm formed off of Cape Fear in the Carolinas, whipping up massive, violent waves out of nowhere. Soaked to the skin and too tired to stand, the North Shore native from Byfield sought refuge down below, where he braced himself by pressing his feet and back between the walls of a narrow hallway to keep from being knocked down as 30-foot-tall walls of water tossed the boat around the open seas.

Below deck with Cavanagh were four crewmates: Debbie Scaling, with blond hair and blue eyes, was an experienced sailor. As the first American woman to complete the Whitbread Round the World Race—during which she’d navigated some of the most difficult conditions on the planet—she was already well known in professional sailing circles. Mark Adams, a mid-twenties Englishman who had been Cavanagh’s occasional racing partner; the boat’s captain, John Lippoth; and Lippoth’s girlfriend, Meg Mooney, rounded out the crew, who were moving a Texas tycoon’s yacht from Maine to Florida for the winter season.

As the storm continued, Cavanagh grew increasingly angry. At 21 years old and less experienced than most of the others, he felt as though no one had a plan for how they were going to get out of this mess alive. He knew their situation was dire. The motor was dead for the third time on the trip, and they had already cut off the wind-damaged mainsail. That meant nature was in control. They could only ride it out and hope to survive long enough for the Coast Guard to rescue them. Crewmates had been in contact with authorities nearly every hour since the early morning, and a rescue boat was supposedly on its way. It’s just a matter of time , Cavanagh told himself again and again, just a matter of time.

After a while, the storm settled into a predictable pattern: The boat would ride up a wave, tilt slightly to port-side and then ride down the wave, and right itself for a moment of stillness and quiet, sheltered from the wind in the valley between mountains of water. Cavanagh began to relax, but then the boat rose over another wave, tilted hard, and never righted itself. Watching the dark waters of the Atlantic approach with terrifying speed through the window in front of him, Cavanagh braced for impact. An instant later, water shattered the window and began rushing into the boat. He jumped up from the floor with a single thought: He had to rouse Scaling from her bunkroom. He had to get everyone off the ship. The Trashman was going down.

Three days earlier, the weather had been perfect: The sun sparkled on the water and warmed everything its rays touched, despite bursts of cool breezes. Cavanagh was walking the docks of Annapolis Harbor alongside Adams, both of them hunting for work. A job Adams had previously secured for them aboard a boat had fallen through, and all they had to show for it was a measly $50 each. As they made their way along the water, Cavanagh spotted an attractive woman standing by a bank of pay phones. He looked at her and she stared back at him, a sandy-haired, 6-foot-3-inch former prep school hockey player draped in a letterman jacket. It wasn’t until she called out his name that he realized who she was: Debbie Scaling.

Cavanagh came of age in a boating family. He’d survived his first hurricane at sea in utero, and grew up on 4,300 feet of riverfront property in Byfield, where his father, a trained reconnaissance photographer named Paul, taught him and his siblings how to sail from an early age. From the outside, the elite schools, the sailboat, the new car every five years, the grand house, and the self-made patriarch gave the impression that the Cavanaghs were living the suburban American dream. Inside the home, though, it was a horror show. Always drinking, Cavanagh’s father emotionally abused, insulted, and belittled his wife and children, Cavanagh recalls. Whenever Cavanagh heard the clinking of ice cubes in his father’s glass, his stress meter spiked.

Despite that—or perhaps because of it—all Cavanagh ever wanted was his father’s approval. Sailing, he thought, would earn his respect. Cavanagh’s sister, Sarah, after all, had been a star sailor, and at family dinners his hard-drinking—and hard-to-please—father talked about her with pride and adulation. In fact, it was Cavanagh’s sister who had first met Scaling when they raced across the Atlantic together a year earlier. She had recently introduced Scaling to Cavanagh and her family, and now, standing at that pay phone in Annapolis, Scaling could hardly believe her eyes. At that very moment, she had just called Cavanagh’s household in hopes of convincing Sarah to join the crew of the Trashman , and here was Sarah’s younger brother standing right in front of her.

Scaling was desperately looking for help on the yacht. Already things had been going poorly: The boat’s captain, Lippoth, who was a heavy drinker, was passed out below deck when she first showed up at the Southwest Harbor dock in Maine to report for work. Soon after they set sail, they picked up the captain’s girlfriend, Mooney, because she wanted to come along for the trip. From Maine to Maryland, Lippoth rarely eased the sails and relied on the inboard motor, which consistently sputtered and needed repair. They’d struggled to pick up additional hands as they traveled south, and Scaling knew they needed more-qualified help for the difficult sail along the coast of the Carolinas, exposed at sea to high winds and waves. Scaling didn’t share any of this with Cavanagh or Adams when Lippoth offered them a job, though. Happy to have work, the pair accepted and climbed aboard.

Perhaps Cavanagh should have known something was wrong with the yacht when the captain mentioned that the engine kept burning out.

“Mayday! Mayday!” A crew member was shouting into the radio, trying to summon the Coast Guard as the yacht began taking on water. Cavanagh had just burst into Scaling’s cabin, while Adams roused Lippoth and Mooney. And now they huddled together at the bottom of a flight of stairs watching the salty seawater rise toward the ceiling. Lippoth tried to activate the radio beacon that would have given someone, anyone, their latitudinal and longitudinal coordinates, but the water rushing in carried it away before he could reach it.

The crew started making their way up toward the deck to abandon ship. Cavanagh spotted the 11-and-a-half-foot, red-and-black Zodiac Mark II tied to a cleat near the cockpit. The outboard motor sat next to it on the mount, but the yacht was sinking too fast to grab it. As he fumbled with the lines of the Zodiac, one broke, recoiled, and ripped his shirt open. Then he lost his grip on the dinghy, and it floated off. Fortunately, it didn’t go far. Adams wasn’t so lucky. A strong gust of wind ripped the life raft out of his hands, and the sinking yacht started to take the raft and its emergency food, water rations, and first-aid kit down with it. By the time Cavanagh swam off the Trashman , it was nearly submerged.

As Cavanagh made his way toward the dinghy, he kicked off his boots, which belonged to his father. For a moment, all he could think was how angry his dad would be at him for losing them. When he got to the Zodiac, he yelled to the others to grab ahold of the raft before the yacht sucked them down with it. The crew made it onto the dinghy with nothing but the clothing on their backs. As they turned around, the last visible piece of the Trashman disappeared beneath the ocean.

Terrified, the five crew members spent the next four hours in the water, being thrashed about by the waves while holding on to the lines along the sides of the Zodiac, which they had flipped upside down to prevent it from blowing away. During the calmer moments, they ducked underneath for protection from the strong winds, with only their heads occupying a pocket of air underneath the raft. There wasn’t much space to maneuver, but still Cavanagh felt the need to move toward one end of the boat to get some distance from his crewmates while he processed his white-hot anger at Lippoth and Adams. Over the past two days, Adams had often been too drunk to do his job, and Lippoth never did anything about it, leaving him and Scaling to pick up the slack. Cavanagh had spent his childhood on a boat with a drunken father, and now, once again, he’d somehow managed to team up with an alcoholic sailing partner and a captain willing to look the other way.

Perhaps he should have known something was wrong with the yacht when the captain mentioned that the engine kept burning out. Maybe he should have been concerned that Lippoth didn’t even have enough money for supplies. But there was nothing he could do about it now, adrift in the Atlantic and crammed under an inflated dinghy trying to stay alive.

As nighttime approached and the temperature dropped, Cavanagh devised a plan for the crew to seek shelter on the underside of the Zodiac yet remain out of the water. First, he grabbed a wire on the raft and ran it from side to side. He lay his head on the bow of the boat and rested his lower body on the wire. Then the others climbed on top of him, any way they could, to stay under the dinghy’s floor but just out of the water. When the oxygen underneath the Zodiac ran out, they’d exit, lift the boat just long enough to allow new air into the pocket, and go back under again.

Sleep-deprived and dehydrated, Cavanagh’s mind wandered home to Byfield and the endless summer afternoons of his childhood spent under his family’s slimy dock, playing hide-and-seek with friends. Cavanagh had spent a lot of his life hiding from his father and his alcohol-fueled rages. If there was a silver lining to the abuse and the fear he grew up with, it was that he learned how to survive under pressure and to avoid the one fatal strain of seasickness: panic.

The next morning, that skill was suddenly in high demand as Lippoth unexpectedly swam out from under the Zodiac to find fresh air. He said he felt like he was having a heart attack and refused to go back under. The storm had calmed, but a cool autumn breeze was sucking the heat from their wet bodies, and Cavanagh wanted the crew to stay under the boat to keep warm. Disagreeing with him, Cavanagh’s crewmates decided to flip the boat right-side up and climb onboard. It momentarily saved their lives: They soon noticed three tiger sharks circling them.

Mooney had accidentally gotten caught on a coil of lines and wires while abandoning the yacht, leaving a bloody gash behind her knee. Everyone else had their cuts and scrapes, too, and the sharks had followed the scent. The largest shark in the group began banging against the boat, then swam under the craft and picked it up out of the water with its body before letting it drop back down. The crew grabbed onto the sides of the Zodiac while Cavanagh and Scaling tried to fashion a makeshift anchor out of a piece of plywood attached to the raft with the metal wire, hoping that it would help steady the boat. No sooner had they dropped the wood into the water than a shark bit it and began dragging the boat at full speed like some twisted version of a joy ride. When the shark finally spit the makeshift anchor out, Cavanagh reeled it in and Adams, in a rage, grabbed it and tried to smash the shark’s head with it. Cavanagh begged his partner to calm down. “The shark’s reaction to that might be bad,” he said, “so just cool it.”

Cavanagh believed that if they could all just stay calm enough to keep the boat upright, they could make it out alive. “The Coast Guard knows we’re here,” Cavanagh told the others, who had heard a plane roaring overhead before the Trashman sank. It was presumably sent to locate any survivors so a rescue ship could bring them back to shore. Unknown at the time was that a boat had been on the way to rescue the group, when for some reason—a miscommunication of sorts—the search was either forgotten or called off. No one was coming for them.

Brad Cavanagh is still haunted by his fight for survival. / Portrait by Matt Kalinowski

Fighting to survive, Cavanagh knew he needed to keep his mind and body busy. With blistered lips and cracked hands, he pulled seaweed onboard to use as a blanket, and he flipped the boat to clean out the urine and fetid water that had accumulated in it. First, he scanned the water to make sure the sharks had left. Then, with Adams’s help, he leaned back and tugged on the wire to flip the boat, rinsed it out, and flipped it back over again so everyone could climb back in. He had a job and a purpose, and it kept him sane.

The others struggled. Adams and Lippoth were severely dehydrated. (Adams from all the scotch he drank and Lippoth from the cigarettes he chain-smoked before the Trashman went down.) Meanwhile, Mooney’s cut was infected and filled with pus; she was getting sicker and weaker. As they lay together in a small pool of water in the bottom of the boat, they all developed body sores, likely from staph infections. Cavanagh’s skin became so tender that even brushing up against another person sent a current of pain through his body. After three days without food and water and using their energy to hold on to the Zodiac during the storm, they were all completely spent.

Realizing that the Coast Guard may not be coming after all, some crew members began to believe their only hope for survival was to eventually wash up on shore. What they weren’t aware of was that a current was pulling them even farther out to sea.

That night, Cavanagh dreamt of home. He was on a boat, sailing, and talking to the men on a fishing vessel riding along next to him as he made his way from Newburyport to Buzzards Bay. It was the route his family took when moving their boat every summer.

The day after he had that dream, the situation descended into a nightmare: Lippoth and Adams began drinking seawater. It slaked their thirst momentarily, but Cavanagh knew it would only be a matter of time before it sent them deeper into madness. Soon enough, the delusions began. First, Lippoth started reaching around the bottom of the boat looking for supplies that didn’t exist. “We bought cigarettes. Where are they?” Lippoth asked. Then Lippoth began trying to convince Mooney that they were going to take a plane to Maine, where his mother worked at a hospital. “We’re going to Portland,” he told her. “I’m going to get the car. I want you guys to pick up the boat and I’ll come back out and get you,” Lippoth said before sliding over the edge of the Zodiac and into the water.

“Brad, you’ve got to get John,” Scaling said to Cavanagh in a panic. But Cavanagh was so weak, he could barely muster the energy to coax Lippoth back onboard. “If you go away and die, then I might die, too. I don’t want to die,” Cavanagh pleaded.

It was too late. The wind pulled the Zodiac away from him. The captain soon drifted out of sight. Across the empty expanse of the ocean, Cavanagh could hear Lippoth’s last howls as the sharks attacked.

An old newspaper clipping of Cavanagh and Scaling, not long before their rescue. / Courtesy photo

Now there were four. Cavanagh, though, noticed Adams was quickly careening into madness, hitting on Mooney, and proposing that sex would cheer her up. Rebuffed, he decided to take his party elsewhere. “Great,” Cavanagh recalls him saying, “if we’re not going to have sex, I’m going back to 7-Eleven to get some beers and cigarettes.”

“You’re not going,” Cavanagh said. “We’re out in the middle of the ocean.”

“I know, I know,” he told Cavanagh. “I’m just going to hang over the side and stretch out a little bit. I’ll get back in the boat.”

Holding onto the side of the raft, Adams slipped into the water. Cavanagh looked away for a moment to say something to Scaling, and when he turned back, Adams was gone. Soon after, the boat began to spin and the water around them started to churn wildly. Cavanagh knew the sharks had gotten Adams, but he was so focused on surviving that it hardly registered that his racing buddy was gone forever.

The three remaining castaways spent the rest of the evening being knocked around as the sharks bumped and prodded the boat. They found something they like , Cavanagh said to himself. And now they want more.

Mooney lay there shivering violently from the cold. In the black of night, she lurched at Cavanagh, scratching at him and screaming. Then she began speaking in tongues. In the morning, Cavanagh woke first and found her lying on her back, her arms outstretched, staring into the sky. “She’s dead,” Cavanagh said when Scaling woke up. “She’s been dead for hours.”

Then a terrifying thought came to his mind: Maybe we could eat her . He was so hungry, so desperately famished, but her body was covered in sores and oozing pus.

Cavanagh and Scaling removed Mooney’s shirt so they would have another layer to keep warm, and her jewelry so they could return it to her family. They still hoped they would have that chance. Then they pushed her naked body off the raft. She floated like a jellyfish, with her arms and legs straight down, away and over the waves. Neither of them were watching when the sharks came for her, too.

After Mooney died, Scaling was troubled that she was lying in pus-infected water and begged Cavanagh to flip the boat over and clean it out. Weak and unsteady, he agreed to try. Standing on the edge of the Zodiac, he tugged the wire and tried to flip it, but he didn’t have the strength to do it alone. Then he gave another tug, lost his balance, and tumbled backward into the water. He tried to get back in the boat but couldn’t. Panic seized him. Every person who had come off that boat had been eaten by sharks. He needed to get back in fast, and he needed Scaling’s help.

Cavanagh begged her to help him up, but she only sat there sobbing inconsolably on the other side of the raft. With his last bit of strength, Cavanagh willed himself over the side on his own. He sat in the boat, winded and seething with anger. The entire time, from when they were on the Trashman with a drunken crewmate, during the storm, and throughout their harrowing journey on the Zodiac, Scaling and Cavanagh had upheld a pact to look out for each other, to protect each other from the sharks, the madness, the others. How could she have left me there in the water? he thought. How could she have let me down? They were supposed to be a team. Now on their fifth day without food or water, he couldn’t even look at her. There were two of them left, but he felt alone.

They sat in a cold, uncomfortable silence until he had something important to say. “Deb, look,” Cavanagh shouted. A large vessel was approaching them. They’d spotted a couple of ships before in the distance, but none were close enough for them to be seen. As it moved toward them, he could see a man on the deck waving. Shortly after, crew members threw lines with large glass buoys on the end of them. But they all landed short, splashing in the water too far away. Undeterred, the men on deck pulled the rescue buoys back and tried again.

Cavanagh, for his part, couldn’t move. “I’m not going anywhere,” he told Scaling. It felt as if every muscle had gone limp. He had nothing left after spending days balancing the boat, flipping it, pulling it, and watching his crewmates die. The ship made another turn. Closer. The men aboard threw the lines again. Scaling jumped into the water and started swimming.

Seeing his crewmate in the water was all the motivation Cavanagh needed. Fuck it , he told himself. Here I go . He rolled overboard and managed to grab a line, letting the crew reel his weakened body in and hoist him up onto the deck along with Scaling. Aboard the ship, Cavanagh saw women wearing calico dresses with aprons and steel-toed work boots waiting for them. They were speaking Russian. At the height of the Cold War, the U.S. Coast Guard never came to save them, but ice traders on a Soviet vessel did.

The crew gave Cavanagh and Scaling dry clothes and medical attention, along with warm tea kettles filled with coffee, sugar, and vodka. That night, as the Coast Guard finally arrived and spirited the two survivors to a hospital, the temperature dropped down into the 30s. Cavanagh and Scaling wouldn’t have made it through another night at sea.

As Cavanagh was recuperating in the hospital, his mother flew down to be by his side. Seeing her appear at his bedside felt like the happiest moment of his life. His father, however, never came; he was on a sailing trip.

Cavanagh soon returned home to Massachusetts and once again felt the need to keep busy: He immediately began taking odd jobs in hopes of earning enough cash to begin traveling to sailboat races again. Processing what he’d endured—five days without food or water and man-eating sharks—was next to impossible. The Southern Ocean Racing Conference season in Florida started in January, and he was determined to be there, but not necessarily to race. He needed to talk to the only other person who had made it off that Zodiac alive. He had something important he needed to tell Scaling.

A few months later, Cavanagh boarded a flight to Fort Lauderdale for the event. With no place to stay, he slept in an empty boat parked in a field. Walking around the next day, he caught a glimpse of the latest issue of Sail magazine and stopped dead in his tracks: Staring back at him was a photo of him and Adams, plastered across the cover. A photographer had snapped a shot of the two racing buddies just before they’d joined the Trashman . It was like seeing a ghost.

Cavanagh paced the docks searching for Scaling—then there she stood, looking as beautiful as ever. His whole body was pumping with adrenaline at the sight of his former crewmate. He needed to tell her he was in love with her. They had shared something that no one else could ever understand. The bond he felt was far deeper than any he’d ever known.

He moved toward her to speak, but the mere sight of Cavanagh made Scaling recoil, reminding her of the horrors that she’d suffered at sea while in the Zodiac. “I’m sorry, but I cannot be around you,” he recalls her saying. “I don’t want you to have anything to do with me. Please leave me alone.” Dejected and hurt, Cavanagh retreated. Then he did what he’d always done: He walked the docks, banging on boats until he found someone willing to hire him.

As the years rolled by like waves, Scaling became a socialite and motivational speaker, talking publicly and often about her fight to survive. She appeared on Larry King Live and wrote a memoir. She and Cavanagh both continued to sail and ran in similar circles, seeing each other often, and both trying desperately to hide their pain when they did.

Scaling eventually settled down in Medfield, where she raised a family and spent summers on the Cape. In 2009, her son, also an avid sailor, drowned in an accident. Nearly three years to the day later, she passed away in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, at 54. Cavanagh was walking out of a marina in Newport, Rhode Island, when someone broke the news to him. He was profoundly disappointed. Disappointed with life itself. He had loved her. There was no information in her obituary about her cause of death, but he recalls there were whispers among family members of suicide. Cavanagh believed no one could have saved her: She was still tortured by those days lost at sea. He was now the lone survivor of the Trashman tragedy.

Several years later, Scaling’s daughter gave Cavanagh a frame. Inside it was a neatly coiled metal wire—the same one Cavanagh had rigged up to suspend their shivering bodies under the Zodiac and flip the boat to keep it clean. It was what had kept them both alive. Unbeknownst to him, Scaling had retrieved it after the dinghy was found still floating in the ocean. She framed it and hung it on her wall, keeping it close all those years.

Cavanagh remains hell-bent on learning why the Coast Guard never showed up in the aftermath of that fateful storm.

On a cold winter day, I drove to Cavanagh’s home in Bourne, where he lives with his wife, a schoolteacher, and his two children. He still had wide shoulders and a strong face, now layered with deep wrinkles, and greeted me with a handshake. His enormous hands engulfed mine.

The wind howled outside and a fire burned in the living room’s gas stove as he sat down on his couch to talk—for the very first time at length—about his life since being rescued. Above his head was the rendering of a floating school he once wanted to build for the Massachusetts Maritime Academy. It had classrooms, living quarters for the students, and bathrooms, but it never was built. It became one of Cavanagh’s many grand ideas over the years, all of which had to do with sailing, that he never saw to fruition. He wants to write a book, too, like Scaling, but he hasn’t been able to get started.

Sailing is the one thing that has remained constant in Cavanagh’s life. He said the ocean continued to give him freedom, even as he remained chained to his past, to the shipwreck that almost killed him, and to the abusive father who failed him.

While we sat there, listening to the wind, Cavanagh pulled out his father’s sailing logbook. In it were the dates and locations of his around-the-world trip. The day his father set sail in 1982, Cavanagh thought he was finally safe. His mother had just filed for divorce and Cavanagh no longer felt he had to stick around to protect her, so he left home to start his life. His father had invited him to join him on his trip, but there was no way Cavanagh was doing that. He wound up on the Trashman instead.

Cavanagh paused to read his father’s entries from the days that Cavanagh was lost at sea. At the time, his father had been docked and drunk in Bermuda, which lies off the coast of the Carolinas, just beyond where the yacht went down. Then he set sail again into the weakened tail end of the same storm that had sunk the Trashman , not knowing that his son had been floating in that same ocean, fighting for his life and waiting for someone to save him.

Cavanagh remains hell-bent on learning why the Coast Guard never showed up in the aftermath of that fateful storm. He has documents and photos from the official case file after the sinking of the Trashman , but they give few, if any, clues. He has spent decades trying to figure out what happened, and now that he’s the only crew member alive, he’s even more determined to find the truth. He wants to know how rescuers forgot about him and his crewmates, and why. Haunted by his memories, he has driven up and down the East Coast, stopping at bases and looking for anyone to speak to him about the incident. He is still adrift, nearly 40 years later, still searching for answers.

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The 40+ Best Lost At Sea Movies

The best lost at sea movies of all time chart a course through the uncharted territories of human endurance, capturing the imagination with tales of survival, isolation, and the indomitable human spirit. Set against the vast, unforgiving expanse of the ocean, these films weave narratives that are as deep and poignant as the waters they traverse. They invite viewers into stories where the sea is more than just a setting—it's a character, challenging the protagonists in ways both terrifying and awe-inspiring.

Among these cinematic voyages, Cast Away stands out with its compelling portrayal of solitude and survival, anchored by Tom Hanks' unforgettable performance. Equally stirring, Adrift captivates with its harrowing true story of love and endurance against the merciless Pacific Ocean. These films, among others, beautifully navigate the tumultuous waters of hope, despair, and redemption, offering viewers an unforgettable journey into the heart of the human spirit.

This list wasn't cast adrift without direction; it was meticulously curated by a crew of movie experts who delved into the vast ocean of film to fish out the true pearls. From there, it was up to the watchers, those aficionados of the silver screen, to cast their votes and help steer this collection into the harbor of the must-watch, the best lost at sea movies of all time.

In this enthralling survival drama, director Robert Zemeckis captures the desperate struggle of Chuck Noland (played by Tom Hanks), a FedEx employee who gets stranded on a remote island after a plane crash. As the narrative unfolds, the audience bears witness to Chuck's intense emotional journey as he seeks to stay alive in an unforgiving environment – from his frantic attempts to signal rescue, to his bond with the enigmatic volleyball Wilson. The film's gripping blend of isolation and existentialism makes it a quintessential tale of being lost at sea.

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• # 151 of 772 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
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Based on a harrowing true story, Adrift follows the lives of young couple Tami Oldham (Shailene Woodley) and Richard Sharp (Sam Claflin) as they embark on a sailing adventure across the Pacific Ocean. When they encounter a catastrophic hurricane, the pair must confront their own mortality and fight against all odds for survival. With its stunning visuals and exceptional performances, Adrift is a poignant and heart-wrenching take on love, loss, and resilience at sea.

James Cameron's epic disaster romance Titanic revisits the infamous sinking of the RMS Titanic, blending historical events with the fictional love story of upper-class Rose (Kate Winslet) and working-class Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio). The film's groundbreaking special effects and set design transport viewers into the heart of the disaster, while the compelling narrative keeps them hooked. Regarded as a cinematic masterpiece, Titanic remains a testament to the power of love amidst chaos and the indomitable human spirit.

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The Perfect Storm

Director Wolfgang Petersen brings Sebastian Junger's bestselling novel to life in The Perfect Storm , a thrilling drama about the ill-fated fishing vessel Andrea Gail and its crew during the “storm of the century.” Starring George Clooney and Mark Wahlberg, the film's relentless action and palpable tension make it a must-watch for fans of high-seas adventure. The gripping storyline, bolstered by a talented ensemble cast, ensures that The Perfect Storm is a stormy voyage worth taking.

• Dig Deeper... Tragic Facts About The Perfect Storm, The Shipwreck Story No One Lived To Tell
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Adapted from Yann Martel's novel, Ang Lee's visually stunning and spiritually resonant Life of Pi tells the extraordinary tale of Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma), a young Indian man who survives a shipwreck only to find himself sharing a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger. As they embark on a fantastical journey through a captivating oceanic world filled with wonder, peril, and self-discovery, Lee seamlessly weaves elements of magical realism, religion, and philosophy into an unforgettable cinematic experience. Life of Pi 's breathtaking visuals and profound themes make it an essential viewing for anyone seeking solace or enlightenment in a sea of uncertainty.

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All Is Lost

Robert Redford delivers a tour de force performance in J.C. Chandor's minimalist drama All Is Lost , playing an unnamed man who becomes stranded at sea after his sailboat collides with a shipping container. With virtually no dialogue, the film relies heavily on Redford's emotive acting and Chandor's masterful storytelling to convey the protagonist's desperation, resourcefulness, and resilience in the face of insurmountable odds. All Is Lost stands as a testament to the power of cinema to tell a compelling, human story with the barest of elements.

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Captain Phillips

Paul Greengrass' thrilling biographical drama, Captain Phillips , recounts the incredible true story of the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking – the first American cargo ship hijacking in over 200 years. Tom Hanks delivers a powerful performance as the titular character, whose resourcefulness and bravery in the face of danger make him an unlikely hero. With its gripping narrative, stellar performances, and intense action, Captain Phillips is an enthralling portrayal of survival and human resilience in the open sea.

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In the Heart of the Sea

Ron Howard's visually striking and ambitious adaptation of Nathaniel Philbrick's nonfiction book, In the Heart of the Sea , delves into the harrowing true story that inspired Herman Melville's classic novel, Moby Dick . The film chronicles the brutal journey of the whaling ship Essex as it encounters a monstrous sperm whale, leaving the crew stranded in a merciless ocean with dwindling resources and a terrifying foe. With its stellar cast – including Chris Hemsworth star performance – and captivating storytelling, In the Heart of the Sea is a chilling and visceral tale of survival and bravery in the face of insurmountable challenges.

• # 183 of 188 on The Best Movies For Men
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The Poseidon Adventure

A seminal disaster film from the 1970s, The Poseidon Adventure follows the struggle for survival aboard the SS Poseidon after the luxury liner capsizes due to a massive tidal wave. Directed by Ronald Neame and starring an all-star ensemble cast – including Gene Hackman, Ernest Borgnine, and Shelley Winters – the film combines high-stakes action and gripping interpersonal drama, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats. For fans of classic cinema and maritime thrillers, The Poseidon Adventure is a must-see.

• # 589 of 772 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
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Angelina Jolie's gripping biopic Unbroken tells the extraordinary true-story of Olympian and war hero Louis Zamperini (played by Jack O'Connell) and his unimaginable ordeal; from crashing into the Pacific Ocean during World War II to surviving 47 days adrift, only to be captured by the Japanese Navy. The film's powerful themes of perseverance, resilience, and the indomitable human spirit make it an inspiring and emotional watch. With its captivating narrative and standout performances, Unbroken is a compelling exploration of survival and redemption in the most trying of circumstances.

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In this chilling horror film, a salvage crew discovers the derelict ocean liner, SS Antonia Graza, and quickly becomes entangled in a web of supernatural terror. Directed by Steve Beck, Ghost Ship masterfully blends elements of maritime adventure and spine-tingling horror to create a uniquely terrifying experience. With its eerie atmosphere, tight pacing, and compelling story, Ghost Ship is perfect for those in search of a thrilling, ghostly adventure at sea.

• # 93 of 392 on The Best Horror Movies Of All Time
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Loosely based on actual events, Open Water follows a couple left stranded in shark-infested waters after their scuba-diving excursion mistakenly leaves them behind. The film's gritty, low-budget approach captures the raw intensity of their struggle for survival, creating an unsettling sense of claustrophobia and dread. Directed by Chris Kentis, Open Water is a nerve-wracking, nail-biting thriller that serves as a sobering reminder of the perils of venturing into the unknown.

• # 41 of 57 on The Best Horror Movies Based On True Stories, Ranked
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The Finest Hours

Based on the incredible true story of the Coast Guard's daring rescue attempt during the 1952 New England nor'easter, The Finest Hours , directed by Craig Gillespie, captures the courageous efforts of four men who risked their lives to save more than 30 stranded sailors. Featuring an exceptional ensemble cast led by Chris Pine and Casey Affleck, this film expertly weaves together thrilling action sequences and poignant character moments to tell a timeless tale of heroism and sacrifice. The Finest Hours ' gripping narrative and emotional resonance make it an unforgettable maritime adventure.

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Based on a true story, The Reef follows a group of friends whose sailing trip takes a horrifying turn when their boat capsizes, leaving them at the mercy of a man-eating great white shark. Directed by Andrew Traucki, the film utilizes real shark footage to create a truly unnerving and authentic experience. With its relentless tension and harrowing depiction of survival, The Reef is a gripping and intense addition to the lost at sea genre.

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Satan's Triangle

This 1975 made-for-television horror film follows an investigation into the mysterious disappearance of ships and planes in the Bermuda Triangle. The survivors of a shipwreck are faced with supernatural occurrences and demonic forces that challenge their sanity and survival. With its eerie atmosphere and unique blend of horror and maritime adventure, Satan's Triangle remains a cult favorite for those seeking something beyond the typical lost at sea narrative.

The definitive cinematic adaptation of Herman Melville's classic novel, John Huston's 1956 film Moby Dick captures the obsessive quest of Captain Ahab (Gregory Peck) to seek vengeance on the great white whale that destroyed his ship and cost him his leg. With its stunning visuals, exceptional performances, and haunting score, this film dives deep into themes of obsession, revenge, and the unfathomable power of nature. Moby Dick is not only a timeless tale of maritime adventure but also a profound exploration of the human psyche.

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Phillip Noyce's suspenseful thriller Dead Calm follows a grieving couple, played by Sam Neill and Nicole Kidman, as they seek solace on a sailing trip, only to encounter a psychotic man (Billy Zane) who has left a trail of destruction in his wake. As tensions rise and allegiances shift, the characters battle for survival in an increasingly dangerous game of cat and mouse. Dead Calm 's intense atmosphere, strong performances, and unpredictable twists make it an unforgettable addition to the lost at sea genre.

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The Shallows

In this tense and visually striking survival thriller, a young surfer named Nancy (Blake Lively) finds herself stranded on a rock just 200 yards from shore with a great white shark circling her. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, The Shallows is a tightly-paced, edge-of-your-seat experience that expertly combines beautiful cinematography with nerve-wracking suspense. As Nancy battles against time, the elements, and a formidable predator, The Shallows delivers a thrilling and visceral tale of resilience and determination.

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The 2006 remake of the classic disaster film, Poseidon focuses on a group of passengers aboard a luxury cruise liner who must fight for their lives when the ship is capsized by a colossal wave. Directed by Wolfgang Petersen, who also helmed The Perfect Storm , this film boasts a talented ensemble cast and impressive special effects. Though the remake may not hold the same classic status as its predecessor, Poseidon still delivers high-stakes action and suspense, making it an enjoyable addition to the lost at sea genre.

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White Squall

Ridley Scott's nautical drama White Squall tells the true story of a group of teenage boys who embark on a six-month educational sailing expedition in the Caribbean, only to be caught in a devastating storm that tests their courage and unity. With its rich character development, breathtaking visuals, and heart-pounding action sequences, White Squall is both a thrilling high-seas adventure and a moving coming-of-age story that speaks to the resilience of the human spirit.

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The inspiring true story of Thor Heyerdahl's daring 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean on a balsa wood raft comes to life in this award-winning film directed by Joachim Rønning and Espen Sandberg. With its engaging characters, stunning cinematography, and thrilling action, Kon-Tiki is both an exhilarating adventure and a testament to the power of the human spirit in the face of adversity. The film's rich historical context and captivating storytelling make it an essential viewing for fans of maritime cinema.

In Wolfgang Petersen's taut and claustrophobic thriller, a German U-boat crew faces the perils of World War II below the surface while struggling to maintain their sanity within the confined space of their submarine. As the crew members are pushed to their breaking point, The Boat explores the psychological toll of warfare and the bonds forged amid adversity. With its authentic portrayal of life aboard a U-boat and its engaging character dynamics, this film remains a compelling and unique entry in the lost at sea category.

In this mind-bending horror-thriller, a group of friends finds themselves trapped in a time loop while stranded on a seemingly abandoned ocean liner. Directed by Christopher Smith, Triangle combines elements of psychological horror and maritime adventure to create a haunting and disorienting cinematic experience. With its eerie atmosphere, complex narrative structure, and chilling twists, Triangle is an unconventional and unforgettable addition to the lost at sea genre.

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Open Water 2: Adrift

In this sequel to the chilling 2003 thriller, a group of friends on a yachting trip finds themselves stranded in shark-infested waters after neglecting to lower a ladder before diving into the ocean. As fear and desperation mount, the friends must confront their darkest fears and make life-altering decisions in their struggle for survival. Though lacking the raw intensity of its predecessor, Open Water 2: Adrift offers a suspenseful and nerve-wracking exploration of the human psyche in the face of overwhelming adversity.

The Guardian

In this gripping action-drama, Kevin Costner stars as a legendary Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer who takes on the challenge of training a young and reckless recruit, played by Ashton Kutcher. The film delves into the perilous world of search and rescue, showcasing the physical and emotional challenges faced by those sworn to protect lives at sea. Directed by Andrew Davis, The Guardian is an engaging and inspiring look at the sacrifices and bravery of those who risk it all in uncharted waters.

This inspiring documentary chronicles the remarkable journey of Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old sailor who sets out to become the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe solo. Directed by Jillian Schlesinger, Maidentrip captures the beauty, loneliness, and triumph of Dekker's incredible adventure with breathtaking cinematography and intimate personal footage. A testament to the power of determination and self-reliance, Maidentrip is a captivating and empowering look at the transformative potential of life at sea.

A Hijacking

Tobias Lindholm's tense and suspenseful drama A Hijacking follows the crew of a Danish cargo ship as they are taken hostage by Somali pirates, with the ship's cook serving as the primary focus of the story. As the tense negotiations between the ship owners and the pirates unfold, the film delves into themes of desperation, morality, and the human capacity for survival in extreme circumstances. A Hijacking 's realistic portrayal of modern-day piracy and its gripping narrative make it a must-watch addition to the lost at sea genre.

K-19: The Widowmaker

Based on the harrowing true story of a near nuclear disaster aboard a Soviet submarine in 1961, K-19: The Widowmaker stars Harrison Ford and Liam Neeson as naval officers whose bravery and ingenuity are pushed to the limit in their desperate race against time. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, this suspenseful and emotionally charged film delves into themes of duty, honor, and the sacrifices made in the name of global security. With its gripping narrative, strong performances, and historical resonance, K-19: The Widowmaker is an engrossing addition to the lost at sea genre.

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Directed by the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock, this 1944 classic follows a group of survivors who find themselves confined to a small lifeboat after their ship is torpedoed during World War II. Hitchcock expertly manipulates the confined setting and tense character dynamics to create a suspenseful and engaging drama that explores themes of morality, survival, and the human capacity for cruelty and compassion in dire circumstances. A groundbreaking and thought-provoking entry in the lost at sea canon, Lifeboat remains an essential viewing for fans of the genre.

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Based on Peter Benchley's bestselling novel, this suspenseful thriller follows a vacationing couple, played by Nick Nolte and Jacqueline Bisset, who uncover a shipwreck filled with valuable treasures and become entangled in a deadly game of greed and betrayal. Directed by Peter Yates, The Deep expertly blends underwater adventure, gripping suspense, and riveting character drama to create a thrilling high-stakes journey into the depths of human ambition and desire. With its memorable performances, lush cinematography, and pulse-pounding action, The Deep (1977) remains an enduring entry in the lost at sea genre.

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In the middle of the ocean, no one can hear you scream.

Best Movies About Being Stranded at Sea

Films about being stranded at sea are some of the most exhilarating and terrifying out there. From Dead Calm to Life of Pi, here are the best.

Looking back, there are a surprisingly large number of movies that are about being stranded at sea. There is good reason for this: when looking to make a truly hard-hitting movie, what could be more terrifying than the feelings of hopelessness and fear associated with being stranded, miles from land with chances of survival getting slimmer by the minute? Add in an extra threat of, say a human-eating shark, or even escalating friction with the other unfortunate souls you may be stranded with, and you have a recipe for pure terror.

Updated September 22, 2022: If you love a good pulse-pounding, stranded at sea film, you'll be happy to know we've updated this articles with additional content and titles.

The fear factor is upped by the fact that a lot of these stories are not wild fantastical tales, but are scenarios that feel far closer to home and are situations that anyone of us could potentially find ourselves in. In fact, a large percentage of these types of movies are based on true stories . Admittedly, due to the popularity of these gripping films, which can often be shot on a low budget, the market has become slightly oversaturated in recent years, with countless sequels and rip-offs flooding the scene, so to speak. With this in mind, below are 10 of the best movies about being stranded at sea.

10 Dead Calm

If you’re only going to feature three superb actors in your movie, you could do a lot worse than the combined greatness of Sam Neil, Nicole Kidman, and Billy Zane. While out sailing in an attempt to try to take their minds off the loss of their son, a married couple come across a stranded stranger. They offer kindness and help, but as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems with the stranger. A genuinely tense thriller, Dead Calm is a fine example of creating an engaging and exciting movie without needing a huge budget.

Not only has this group of pals found themselves capsized and stranded out at sea, they’re also being stalked by a great white shark. Unlike numerous shark-based movies before (and after) it, The Reef used real footage of sharks in the movie , according to Screen Rant , instead of practical or CGI effects, which always run the danger of making the sharks look unrealistic and, at times, downright ridiculous. Definitely one of the more genuinely scary shark flicks, The Reef never eases up on the tension, keeping viewers glued to the edge of their seats for the entire 90-minute run time. Maybe it's not the most original movie on the list, but certainly one of the most exciting.

Related: Exclusive: Andrew Traucki and Teressa Liane of The Reef: Stalked on Their Allegorical Shark Movie

Titanic is proof that ‘bigger’ is not always better. The RMS Titanic was carrying 3,320 people when it was destroyed by a giant iceberg, the majority of who did not survive the aftermath. The real-life tragedy portrayed in James Cameron’s harrowing 1997 movie manages to perfectly capture the feelings of fear, panic and hopelessness as we spend time in those final moments with the passengers stranded at sea after the ship begins sinking.

Obviously, the sheer scale of death and destruction was certainly impactful, but it felt even more personal as we spend nearly 3 hours with the two lead characters, Rose and Jack, following their forbidden romance and rooting for them throughout. After allowing the audience to develop this tightly intimate bond with these two characters, we’re left devastated as, spoiler alert, it does not end well.

7 Open Water

Yet another movie on this list made all the more terrifying by the fact that it is based, albeit rather loosely, on a true story. This time, Open Water concentrates on an American couple who go scuba diving while on vacation, but find themselves stranded at sea and surrounded by sharks as their tour boat accidentally leaves them behind. Shot out at sea on an ultra-low budget, this actually adds an immense sense of realism and intensity, creating for a nerve racking 80 minutes in which the viewers hearts are in their mouths the entire time.

6 White Squall

A white squall is the occurrence of a sudden, violent windstorm at sea, one which hits without warning. The lack of the usual warning signs, like black clouds, makes them near impossible to avoid when out at sea, as evidenced by the skipper (played assuredly by Jeff Bridges, in one of his more overlooked performances) and his class of students on a school sailing trip in White Squall .

Needless to say, the result was catastrophic, ending in tragedy, and the skipper is put on trial. Based on the real-life sailing boat the Albatross, which sank in 1961, director Ridley Scott not only focuses on the trauma of the event itself, but also spends plenty of time developing the characters beforehand in a coming-of-age style plot which makes the tragedy even more hard hitting for the audience.

5 All Is Lost

Legendary silver screen icon Robert Redford headlines the Golden Globe-winning survival drama All Is Lost , in which the Hollywood great portrays a veteran mariner who finds his vessel adrift at sea following a debilitating collision with a storage container. The man must fight to survive a vicious incoming storm without the help of any navigation equipment or a radio to call out for help, and the riveting picture chronicles his relentless crusade to make it out alive and back to his loved ones. AlI Is Lost features almost no dialogue and only utilizes Redford's immense talent as the sole character of the film , bringing the lost mariner's desperation and fear to life in a spectacularly moving fashion.

Like Titanic , this is based on a real-life event , just on a much smaller scale. No less harrowing for the viewer, Adrift stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin as a couple who are stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean after Hurricane Raymond in 1983, and must find their way to Hawaii with a damaged boat and no radio.

Like James Cameron did with Titanic , the film not only focuses on the disaster and survival aspects of the story , but also highlights the intimate bond and romance between the two leads, allowing the viewers to become fully invested in their well-being. Even from the safety of your own couch, the rollercoaster of emotions you’re taken through is mentally draining — one can only imagine what it would have been like to have been there, lost at sea.

3 The Shallows

Inspired by her husband Ryan Reynold’s minimalist movie Buried , which takes place entirely in a coffin, Blake Lively teamed up with director Jaume Collet-Serra and writer Anthony Jaswinski for this stranded at sea survival horror. This time around, the story follows a surfer (played by Lively) instead of a sailor, who gets stranded out at sea, only to find herself under threat from a great white shark.

Interestingly, the majority of The Shallows was shot in a tank using blue screens for effects, with the shark being entirely computer generated. Somehow, the result is still ultra-realistic, making you feel as if you are right there in the water with her, kind of the Blair Witch Project of stranded at sea shark movies.

2 The Poseidon Adventure

The very notion of being lost at sea is terrifying all in itself, but throw in the element of a capsized ship on the verge of being completely consumed by water and the stakes get even more dicey. The '70s classic disaster film The Poseidon Adventure centers on the titular ocean liner as it is tragically overturned by a destructive tsunami, trapping its unsuspecting inhabitants and leaving them to figure out how to escape the stranded ship.

Related: These Movies Will Make You Second Guess Ever Getting on a Boat

The spine-tingling flick went on to earn 8 Academy Award nominations and won two, with critics lauding it for its pulse-pounding tension, outstanding visual effects and commanding performances. Since its release, The Poseidon Adventure has gone on to become a cult film and is a knockout example of the disaster genre.

1 Life of Pi

One of the most critically lauded movies of its year, Life of Pi was nominated for a total of 11 Oscars, winning four. The premise revolves around a 16-year-old Indian boy named Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) who is stranded on a lifeboat with a dangerous Bengal tiger after surviving an ocean liner shipwreck. The movie is captivating from start to finish: we follow Pi’s tale as the pair learn to trust each other in this visually stunning masterclass in storytelling. Its incredible technology and deeply allegorical substance results in one of the most mesmerizing movies about begin stranded at sea.

Stranded at sea: 7 incredible survival stories

Monday 20 August 2018 12:22, UK

The remarkable tale of a British woman pulled from the sea alive 10 hours after falling from a cruise ship off the coast of Croatia is one of incredible fortune and - on the part of her rescuers - heroism.

But more than that, it is a story of survival - and yet another example of how the human spirit can triumph over the uncompromising dangers of the ocean.

From British sailor Tony Bullimore, to a woman whose brutal ordeal in the middle of the Pacific inspired a Hollywood film, Sky News charts some of the most eye-opening survival stories at sea.

:: Jose Salvador Alvarenga

Fisherman Jose Salvador Alvarenga had been stranded in the Pacific for more than a year by the time he returned to his home in El Salvador in February 2014.

The then 37-year-old washed ashore in the Marshall Islands, having set sail on a fishing trip from Mexico in late 2012.

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When Ebon islanders discovered him some 8,000 miles away from where his journey began, Mr Alvarenga - complete with shaggy hair and a bushy beard - was unable to walk without assistance.

Upon his return to El Salvador, his cousin described him as "a warrior" and his mother said it was a "divine miracle".

He later travelled back to Mexico for an emotional meeting with the family of his shipmate , Ezequiel Cordova, who starved to death four months into the ordeal and fell overboard.

:: Louis Jordan

What should have been a simple fishing trip became a desperate two-month test of endurance for Louis Jordan, who was rescued off the US coast in March 2015.

He was spotted sitting on the upturned hull of his stricken sailboat - a 35ft vessel called Angel - about 200 miles (321km) off North Carolina.

The German-registered Houston Express took him aboard and passed him on to the US Coastguard, who took him to a hospital in Virginia.

Remarkably, a shoulder injury and dehydration was not enough to stop him being discharged just a few hours later.

His father, Frank, put his survival down to strong constitution and religious beliefs, which he said had made up for his inexperience as a sailor.

:: Tony Bullimore

Sailor and businessman Tony Bullimore famously survived for four days at sea when his boat capsized during the solo round-the-world Vendee Globe race in 1997.

Mr Bullimore - a former member of the Royal Marines - was feared drowned by the time he was dramatically rescued by the Australian navy in the freezing waters of the Southern Ocean.

It emerged that he had managed to survive on a single bar of chocolate, 2,200km off the coast of Australia.

Another contestant, Canadian Gerry Roufs, died during the same race.

Mr Bullimore - known as the "British bulldog" - was considered a Bristol legend by the time he died in July 2018 .

:: Tami Oldham Ashcraft

The heartbreaking story of Tami Oldham Ashcraft was the inspiration behind the 2018 film Adrift, with Shailene Woodley taking the role of the then 23-year-old seeking adventure with British fiance Richard Sharp.

After setting off from Tahiti in the autumn of 1983, on a boat bound for San Diego, the couple ended up sailing into the devastating Hurricane Raymond.

When the full force of its winds struck, their vessel was quickly became a wreckage and Mr Sharp was lost at sea.

But Ms Ashcraft - whose head was split open and leg left battered and bruised - was able to fashion a makeshift sail from the remains of the boat and set a course for Hawaii.

She managed to survive for 41 days, powered by peanut butter and sheer willpower, before being picked up off the coast by a research vessel.

:: Oguri Jukichi

Japanese captain Oguri Jukichi holds the Guinness World Record for the longest known time that anyone has survived adrift at sea.

Joined by one of his sailors, the skipper managed to survive for approximately 484 days after their cargo ship was damaged in a storm off the Japanese coast in October 1813.

They had been on a voyage from the central city of Toba to what is now Tokyo, but ended up drifting into the Pacific.

After more than a year on the water, Mr Jukichi and his one remaining sailor were rescued by an American ship near California in March 1815.

Both men managed to survive thanks a diet of distilled seawater and soy beans, with several hundred bags having been stored on their vessel, but the dozen other members of the crew died of scurvy.

:: Steven Callahan

Having grown up with a love of boats and the prospect of an adventure at sea, Steven Callahan felt well equipped when the time came for him to sail across the Atlantic on a solo voyage aboard his own vessel - Napoleon Solo.

Mr Callahan departed from Newport on Rhode Island in 1981 and successfully made it to Bermuda and then Cornwall, before setting off for Antigua as part of a sailing race from Penzance.

Several other boats were sunk by hazardous weather and Napoleon Solo suffered too, but Mr Callahan was quick to make repairs and continue down the coasts of Spain and Portugal and on to the Canaries.

It was between there and his ultimate goal of Antigua that Napoleon Solo was irreversibly damaged, reportedly from a collision with a whale, forcing Mr Callahan to abandon ship.

He drifted away from the wreckage aboard an inflatable life raft, upon which he survived at sea for 76 days before being picked up by fishermen near the island of Marie Galante, south east of Guadeloupe.

:: Poon Lim

Chinese sailor Poon Lim was the sole survivor of British merchant ship SS Ben Lomond when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in November 1942.

He clambered aboard a wooden raft with a paltry supply of food and water, which he was forced to replenish by fishing, hunting birds and collecting rainwater over the course of his 133-day purgatory in the South Atlantic.

Eventually, in April 1943, he was rescued by a trio of Brazilian fisherman at the mouth of the Amazon.

King George VI bestowed on him a British Empire Medal upon his return to the UK, but Mr Lim moved to the US after the war and lived there until he died in Brooklyn in January 1991.

Nobody is thought to have survived for longer at sea on a raft alone.

Unresolved Marine Incidents

The mission of boatwatch.org is to maintain a worldwide network of resources to aid mariners that are missing or overdue; have a boat stolen; or to whom urgent messages need to be relayed..

• Fisherman Missing from Carriacou

Mar 10, 2024

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  BOLO for missing fisherman, Raymond Roseman, age 62, who left Bogles, Carriacou on March 8, 2024. Roseman set out alone in a 13 foot, white boat, equipped only with oars and no engine. Keep a sharp lookout, assist if...

• Bolo SV “EPIPAPU 2” St Bart to Antiqua

Mar 3, 2024

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  MRCC Fort de France has requested assistance in locating the French 14-meter sailboat "EPIPAPU 2" which departed Thursday evening from St Barthélémy, bound for Antigua. 2 people on board. Radio signal FN5245, registration PV...

• Five Fishermen Missing Off Trinidad MV Amanda

Mar 2, 2024

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  Five Fishermen Missing Off Trinidad MV Amanda BOLO for five fishermen missing since February 24, 2024. Last Saturday between 4 pm and 5 pm, boat captain David Seepaul, 60, his son Davanan, 35, Braiyer Ali, 21, Shiva...

• Couple Missing from SV Simplicity Grenada to St. Vincent

Feb 22, 2024

Statement from the family members of the crew of S/V Simplicity: "Many in the Salty Dawg family have offered support and the willingness to help in any way that they can, as we all mourn the disappearance of two of our long term members, Ralph and Kathy of Simplicity. "The family has asked us to...

• Four Fishermen Missing off Venice Florida

Feb 19, 2024

UPDATE: The USCG has suspended its search for the 4 missing fishermen as of Monday Feb. 19, 2024 at 8 PM pending new information.Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  A BOLO has been issued for 4 missing fishermen that left Venice, Florida at 8 AM Saturday...

BOLO SV ANDIAMO Tonga to Fiji

Dec 22, 2023

UPDATE posted on Boat Watch Facebook Group December 22, 2023 It is with great regret that I am passing on the news that RCC New Zealand has called off their search for SV Andiamo. That’s all but an official proclamation that they’re lost at sea. For those of you in Tongawho knew them and would...

Search for FV Carol Ann

Nov 29, 2023

Search by Volunteers Suspended Note: This post on Boat Watch Facebook group is  from the family of the missing boys on November 29, 2023. It is with great sadness that we are informing everyone that the helicopter that landed at 4:38 P.M. today will be our last flight unless we receive new...

Flotsam and Jetsam MV Trophy Bermuda to Virgin Islands

Oct 30, 2023

MV TROPHY Adrift Between Bermuda and the Virgin Islands Report from Boat Watch facebook group - CAUTION: Floating remains of a small vessel with TROPHY printed on the side spotted at 26.50.508’N 63.49.700’W between Bermuda and Virgin Islands.

Missing Boater Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina

Sep 1, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  USCG requests assistance in looking for a missing boater, Scott Johnson, 47 years old and his dog, Baxter.  He was last seen by a neighbor on 8/22/23. Johnson reported that he was going out on his 23 foot sport fisher,...

BOLO SV DEFIANT Eastern North Pacific

Jul 22, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  An AMVER alert has been issued by RCC Alameda for SV DEFIANT, a 60 foot Trimaran with one person on board. The last known posistion is: 12-13.48N 099-19.73W on July 13, 2023. UPDATE: July 28, 2023 - USCG Cutter Active is on...

Missing Person Delron Francis on Voyage USVI to Dominica

Jul 11, 2023

USCG San Juan has received a Missing Persons Report concerning Mr. Delron Francis, 37 years old, DOB April 28, 1986. He was on a voyage from Red Hook, St. Thomas USVI to Dominica on a catamaran. Family members have not heard from Mr. Francis since June 07, 2023. Report any sightings or information...

BOLO for MV ROTHO Nuuk to Maniitsoq Greenland

Jul 9, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Networks  A Bolo has been issued for MV ROTHO that left Nuuk, Greenland on July 5, 2023 for Maniitsoq, Greenland.It is a SeaStar 6000 med 150 hk Honda. The Captain's name is Per V. Larsen, and he is a Danish citizen. Anyone with...

Missing Diver Bahamas

Jun 20, 2023

Ryan Proulx, 31, was last seen near the Bimini Barge Wreck on Friday, a diving location roughly 1.5 miles west of Bimini Inlet, according to the Coast Guard. After aircraft crews searched over 673 square miles for Proulx, the Coast Guard suspended the search on Sunday afternoon. Authorities call...

SV Ocean Bound Overdue Mexico to San Diego, CA

Apr 15, 2023

News Release U.S. Coast Guard 11th District PA Detachment LA/LBContact: Coast Guard PA Detachment LA/LBOffice: (310) [email protected] Detachment LA/LB online newsroom Search suspended for three missing Americans 04/19/2023 08:14 PM EDT   The U.S. Coast Guard has been informed that...

Fishermen Missing Off Puerto Rico North of Desecheo Island

Feb 27, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net Coast Guard air and surface units are searching now for one of the  overdue fishermen in Mona Passage waters off Rincón, Puerto Rico. Overdue were Luis Eliel Guerra, 29, and Wilson Negrón, who reportedly departed from Rincón at...

MV Nidval in Need of Assistance NW of Cartagena, Colombia

Feb 25, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net MV NIDVAL in need of Assistance 159 NM NW of Cartagena, Colombia 252039Z FEB 23HYDROLANT 441/23(26).CARIBBEAN SEA.DNC 14.M/V NIDVAL LOW ON FUEL, RADAR DISABLED,LAST KNOWN POSITION IN 13-23.00N 076-56.08W.VESSELS IN VICINITY...

Tyler Doyle Still Missing South Carolina/North Carolina Border

Feb 22, 2023

Tyler Doyle, 23 years old is still missing - South Carolina/North Carolina state line by the jetties in Little River, North Carolina.  Keep a sharp lookout in this area for Tyler Doyle. Report any sightings to nearest authorities. Here is a plea from the family. "My son Tyler Doyle was Duck...

FV NO THAT ONE Overdue St. Lucia

Feb 20, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net MRCC Fort de France requests assistance in locating FV NO THAT ONE with two persons on board and overdue from St. Lucia Harbor. FV is white and blue with a red hull. Report any sightings, keep a sharp lookout and assist if...

BOLO for Two Men from Antigua – Dominica to St. Martin

Feb 14, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net BOLO for two men missing from Antigua on a passage from Dominica to St. Martin. Tmoy Samuels and Maurice Mauriceson Valentine are from Antigua and 21 years old. They left on a sailboat from Dominica on February 3, 2023 and planned...

BOLO for SV with 11 POB Dominica to St. Martin or BVI’s

Feb 13, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net MRCC Fort de France has reported a ten meter SV, white and yellow hull with 11 persons onboard is unreported on a passage from Dominica to the British Virgin Islands or St. Martin. The two crew are from Antiqua and the passengers...

BOLO for Two Fishermen Missing Grenada

Feb 5, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Net Family members in Grenada report that Kindon Alexander and Keithlon Lewis from St. Andrew, Grenada left Grenville February 5, 2023 and have not returned. They are in a new blue and white fishing skiff named Perfect Timing with a...

Urgent Message for SV Northern Lynx Cuba to Bahamas

Jan 20, 2023

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets URGENT Message for SV Northern Lynx on passage from Cuba to the Bahamas  SV is a 48 foot Fontaine Pajot Catamaran registered in Vancouver Canada, which left Cuba on January 19, 2023 on passage to the Bahamas, maybe Bimini....

Drifting Red SV Alegria of Cowes Martinique

Dec 31, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets MRCC Fort de France is searching for SV Alegria of Cowes, a red sailboat drifting from Martinique since Dec. 30, 2022 at 1 PM. It is a cutter rig with blue mainsail sheets and could be within a 50 mile circle west of Fort de...

Fisherman Overboard Cape Sable Island Nova Scotia

Dec 26, 2022

UPDATE Dec. 28, 2022 UPDATE: SEARCH SUSPENDED FOR FISHERMAN LOST AT SEA. Yesterday December 26th 2022, the Lobster industry lost one of their own. Christian Lee Atwood aged 27 years was lost over-aft of the MV Little Weasel II at about 8:15 am, while lobstering off shore in the Outer Island and...

BOLO for Stolen SV KE ‘OLA KAI Colombia

Nov 19, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Boat Watch has received a report that stolen SV KE 'OLA KAI was seen leaving Cartagena, Colombia November 19, 2022 and is possibly in the Rosario Islands. The boat is a 2000, 46 foot Moody, US documented, navy blue hull with a...

BOLO for Two Boaters Missing From Key West

Oct 17, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Please be on the lookout for a 32 foot, light blue, Carver Power boat with two persons and a dog aboard that have been missing from Key West since Tuesday September 27 as Hurricane Ian passed. Missing are Omar Millet Torres and...

Sailor Missing On Passage From Massachusetts to Florida

Oct 8, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Solo sailor Matthew Dennis, 22 years old, is missing on a 28 foot, 1976 Pearson, white hull, sailboat named "Sail Away". The sails have a navy blue trim. He left from Salem, Massachusetts on September 22, 2022 on a passage to...

Pilot Boat Overdue Dominica to St. Martin

Sep 10, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets UPDATED September 13, 2022 BOLO for an overdue former Pilot Boat M/V PILOTINE, Blue hull, two persons on board, overdue between Dominica and St. Martin. UPDATED INFO : MRCC Fort de France advised Boat Watch, M/V left Dominica on...

MV Three Amigos Missing West Coast of Florida

Aug 30, 2022

The Three Amigos a 39' Trojan Express is missing from the West Coast of Florida Specifically, it is missing from being at anchor in the area 1 mile West of Bonita Springs, between Barefoot Beach & Vanderbilt Beach just W of the mouth of the Caloosahatchee River.  GPS location when last...

SV Corsair Stolen Olympia Washington

Jun 3, 2022

Be On the Lookout for a stolen SV Corsair Boat Watch has received a report that SV Corsair was stolen near Boston Harbor Marina, Olympia, Washington. Report any sightings to the nearest Coast Guard or law enforcement agency.

MV Fair Chance Sinks Trinidad Crew Missing

Apr 3, 2022

Coast Guard Tows Vessel To Shallow Waters, So Divers Can Search For Survivors ByMikey Live April 5, 2022 (TRINIDAD EXPRESS) – The Trinidad and Tobago Coast Guard (TTCG) intends to have the partially-submerged vessel Fair Chance towed to shallow waters in the Gulf of Paria so divers can begin...

Man Missing From Union Island, St. Vincent & Grenadines

Mar 30, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Dennis Leo Gellzeau  left Union Island, St. Vincent & the Grenadines in a small green boat with a 40 HP engine and is missing. No further information is available. Report any sightings to local authorities and assist if...

BOLO “SV EXODUS DEL CARIBE” Eastern Caribbean

Mar 27, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets SV "Exodus Del Caribe", formerly known as "SV Venus", with David Welles, 69 years old, on board is overdue on a voyage from St. Vincent to St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean. SV Exodus is a 38 foot sloop, navy blue hull, and is...

BOLO for Red & White Center Console Boat Miami

Mar 18, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Bolo for a red and white, 29 foot,Wellcraft Scarab center console, white bimini, two outboards with one person on board. Florida Registration Fl 5345EP Last known position: 26-06.8N 080-01.0W (Offshore of Ft Lauderdale) AT...

BOLO For Missing SV Blue Rose, Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI

Mar 9, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO for stolen sailing vessel "BLUE ROSE", a 45 foot Freedom. The vessel was last seen on March 4, 2022 on a mooring at the mouth of Cruz Bay, St. John, USVI.  The vessel has a seven foot Radar mast mounted near the aft rail, is...

BOLO for 39 People Missing from Overturned Boat Bimini, Bahamas to Ft. Pierce, Florida

Jan 26, 2022

MIAMI — The Coast Guard suspended the search for the 34 people missing at sea, Thursday, at approximately 6 p.m., from a capsized vessel, pending new information. A good Samaritan reported to Sector Miami watchstanders, Tuesday, at 8 a.m. that he had rescued a man from a capsized 25-foot vessel...

Two Men Missing from British Virgin Islands on Boat “Gorda Sound”

Jan 17, 2022

Two men are missing in the British Virgin Islands that were last seen December 31, 2021 on a 36 foot Avanti powerboat, in Tortola, named, “GORDA SOUND”, which is also missing.The 36 foot Avanti, “GORDA SOUND” is described as having a white hull, white hard top, very distinctive white seats with...

$25,000 Reward re Missing Man Sugarloaf Key, Florida

Jan 12, 2022

39 Foot SeaVee Stolen from Chubb Cay, Bahamas

A 37 Foot SeaVee, made in Miami was stolen from Chubb Cay Bahamas January 11, 2022 at around noon. If you have information please call Corporal Smith @ 242-559-3969 or the nearest Coast Guard authorities.

BOLO for Man Overboard from FV Marza Guadeloupe, Eastern Caribbean

Jan 3, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets MRCC Fort de France has issued a lookout for a man overboard January 20, 2022 from the FV Marza in the vicinity of 17-42.4N 062-30.0W, near Gruadeloupe, Eastern Caribbean Sea. Vessels in the area are requested to keep a sharp...

BOLO For Boston Whaler Driggs Hill South Andros to Nassau, Bahamas

Jan 1, 2022

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BASRA is looking for a 17' Boston Whaler, 1 pob, left Driggs Hill South Andros for Nassau on 27 December and has not arrived.  All vessels please keep lookout and render assistance or report any sightings to BASRA

BOLO for Two Men Missing After Vessel Sinks near Cedar Key Florida

Dec 30, 2021

UPDATE January 2, 2022 Coast Guard suspends search for missing boater near Cedar Key ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.— The Coast Guard suspended search efforts Sunday evening for a missing boater one mile offshore of Cedar Key. Deceased is David Savioe, 33, and missing is Michael Sedor, 39. A...

BOLO for FV Big Bro Overdue St. Lucia, Eastern Caribbean

Dec 29, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets As of January 3, 2022 - MRCC Fort de France advises this is an active lookout for FV Big Bro. MRCC Fort de France has issued a lookout for FV Big Bro which is overdue Castries Harbor, Saint Lucia, Eastern Caribbean.  FV Big Brow...

MV Strong Trinity with 11 Crew Missing Since Cyclone Odette Cebu, Philippines

Dec 27, 2021

UPDATE from the families March 21, 2022 "I have sent an email looking forward for helping us to find the missing tugboat. MV STRONG TRINITY. The incident happened during the Super Typhoon Odette hit the Philippines last December 16, 2021. Until now all of the 11 crews were still missing. Hope you...

Urgent Bolo for Man Overboard Yucatan Channel

Dec 21, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets URGENT BOLO FOR MAN OVERBOARD FROM TANKER IN YUCATAN CHANNEL. On 20 Dec 2021, sometime between morning and noon, a 31 year old worker on the tanker City Island went overboard near position 22-00N / 085-00 W in the Yucatan...

Epirb Activated 569 NM Off Barbados

Dec 17, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets On December 17, 2021, a EPIRB was activated at 13-21-00N 049-47-50W AT 162315Z, which is 569  NM East of Barbados registered to a 17 Meter Vessel Oceans Carisma.  Boatwatch determined that the vessel and the owner of Oceans...

Boat Found Drifting off Carriacou with Dead Bodies

Dec 13, 2021

by The New Today December 12, 2021 A small boat with about three to four bodies believed to be Hispanics has been discovered in the waters off Grenada’s sister island of Carriacou. According to a well-placed source, the boat was found drifting by a fisherman from Petite Martinique in waters just...

BOLO for Stolen Boat, MV “Gina Page”, Pompano Beach Florida

Dec 7, 2021

This boat was stolen in Pompano Beach Florida in September 2021. Report any sightings or information to the Sheriff's office, Detective Hopkins or to the nearest police department. It is a 2005 Edge Water with the name "Gina Page" on both sides.

Distress Call Relayed Over HF SSCA Radio KPK, Papua, New Guinea, South Pacific

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets UPDATE: November 7, 2021 10:18 Eastern 050812Z DEC 21 HYDROPAC 3506/21(73). BISMARCK SEA. PAPUA NEW GUINEA. DNC 05. 23 FOOT VESSEL CAPSIZED IN VICINITY 03-02.22S 142-06.72E ON 04 DEC. NUMEROUS PERSONS REMAIN MISSING. VESSELS IN...

BOLO: SV La Mouette Stolen From St. Vincent

Nov 29, 2021

SV "La Mouette" Stolen Boat Watch has received a report of a stolen Lagoon 38, white with a blue stack pack/lazy bag. The yachts name is "La Mouette". It left the mooring ball in Blue Lagoon, St Vincent at around 6pm yesterday Sunday November 27th. This has been reported to SVG Coast Guard. Report...

USCG Suspends BOLO For Missing Boater North of Frying Pan Shoals, North Carolina

Nov 28, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets The Coast Guard is searching for a 44-year-old man in the vicinity of Frying Pan Shoals, North Carolina, Saturday. The man departed the Federal Point Yacht Club on Monday 22 Nov 2021, on his 19-foot SeaCraft vessel. Sector North...

BOLO from SV AZORA Adrift north of Clearwater, Florida

Oct 30, 2021

Non Emergency Bolo for Adrift SV AZORA off Clearwater, Florida SV AZORA is a 42 foot Tartan sloop, dark blue hull with a beige Bimini with a Cortez, Fl hailing port. The last known position on 10/17/21 was 28 43.67N and 083 11.72W, just north of Clearwater, FL, and off the coast 26NM in the area...

BOLO for SV “ARIANE” Passage from Sicily, via Greece to Tortuga Marina, Varna, Bulgaria

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Urgent BOLO for SV "ARIANE" on passage from Sicily, via Greece to Bulgaria SV "ARIANE" has a solo captain, Barney Brogan, 45 years of age and a British citizen. SV "ARIANE" is a 1984, 35 foot Van De Stadt sloop, dark navy steel...

Catamaran “Kailani II” Stolen from Young Island, St. Vincent, Eastern Caribbean

Oct 11, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Boatwatch has received a report from the owner of a 44 foot catamaran, named Kailani 2, stolen between October 8th to the 9th, 2021, from Young Island, St. Vincent in the eastern Caribbean. The catamaran is 2016 Fontaine pajot...

BOLO for MV Guadalupe Returning From Aid in Haiti to Mexico

Oct 3, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets A BOLO has been issued for the MV Guadalupe, an 83 foot Yacht Club Playa Company boat, returning from giving aid in Haiti. The last known position on September 28, 2021 at 12:35 PM, recorded on a spot tracker was 130 miles...

Two Men Arrested after 552 kg of Suspected Cocaine Seized from a Burning Sailboat off Coast of N.S.Halifax, Canada – One Escapes from Hospital

Sep 13, 2021

Samantha LongCTVNewsAtlantic.ca writer @samjlong Contact Published Thursday, September 2, 2021 4:16PM ADTLast Updated Thursday, September 2, 2021 4:54PM ADT Mounties say they have arrested two men – one of whom was wanted by police – after seizing 552 kilograms of suspected cocaine from a burning...

BOLO: SV Secret Plans Stolen from Halifax Harbor, Canada Sets Off PLB in Eye of Hurricane Larry

Sep 11, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets URGENT BOLO: USCG Rescue Coordination Center Boston received a Personal Locator Beacon Alert on September 10, 2021 with Canadian registration located 550NM E of Cape Cod, MA and 340NM SE of Halifax, NS.  PLB is registered to a...

SV Queal Activates EPIRB, Assisted by LPG Tanker Arago & JRCC Australia

Aug 26, 2021

On August 26, 2021, JRCC Australia advised Boat Watch that they have been coordinating the response  to the EPIRB activation by SV Queal. Overnight LPG Tanker ARAGO accompanied the sailing vessel and intends to transfer the sailor at first light if weather conditions allow it. The EPIRB was...

BOLO for Two Persons in the Water from Downed Helicopter, Albemarle Sound, Alligator River, North Carolina

Jul 21, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO for two persons possibly in the water or debris from a helicopter that went down July 19, 2021 in Albemarle Sound, North Carolina. Debris and personal items have been found near the Alligator River. Keep a sharp lookout for...

USCG Suspends Search for Diver Off Mayport/Jacksonville, Florida

Jul 11, 2021

Coast Guard, partner agencies suspend search for missing diver off Mayport JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Coast Guard has suspended the search, Tuesday, for Timothy Obi, a 37-year-old male diver who went missing Saturday approximately 46 miles east of Mayport.  Diving equipment matching the description of...

BOLO for F/V Flipper Missing From Bonaire, ABC’s

Jul 7, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets  A BOLO has been issued for F/V Flipper missing from Bonaire as of July 6, 2021.It is approximately 16 feet with a 25 HP outboard. The interior of the vessel looks to be white, while the exterior hull is blue. Report all...

Search for Missing Boater near Culebra, Puerto Rico Suspended

Coast Guard suspends search for missing person in the water near Culebra, Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — The Coast Guard suspended its search for a missing male boater Wednesday night near the island of Culebra, Puerto Rico. “Suspending a search is never easy, our thoughts and prayers are...

3 Jamaican Sailors Missing on 28 foot S/V “God Alone”

Jul 2, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Three Jamaican Sailors Missing on 28 Foot Sailboat BOLO for S/V “God Alone” with Captain Keron Powell, 43 years of age and two unknown mates. They left Port Antonio point June 6, 2021 to go fishing and have not been heard from...

Fishing Vessel Eden Missing From Antiqua, Last Seen off Barbuda

Jun 28, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets A Bolo has been issued for F/V Eden which left Antigua, Eastern Caribbean on Thursday June 24, 2021 at around noon with two men on board. They last had signals to their phones north of Barbuda. The 25 foot pirogue is light blue...

BOLO for Debris or Persons in the Water 55NM WSW of the Dry Tortugas, Florida after EPIRB Activation

Jun 15, 2021

UPDATE: June 17, 2021 The USCG has called off the search regarding this EPIRB activation. The EPIRB was unregistered but with good batteries.  Please register and update all safety devices. Notification and float plans should have people that know you and your boat very well.Broadcast Version For...

Search Continues on land and sea for Sailor Tomas Gimeno and Anna, age one after Olivia Gimeno’s body found at sea Tenerife Spain

Jun 11, 2021

Body found in bag in sea off Tenerife confirmed as missing girl Olivia Gimeno taken by her father Olivia Gimeno, six, and her sister Anna, one, were taken by their father Tomas without permission on 27 April 2021.  By Sky News Friday 11 June 2021 15:11, UK   Image:Olivia Gimeno, six (right)...

Experience Sailor, Britt Taylor Lost Overboard At Sea

Jun 5, 2021

Britt Taylor, 52, is believed to have fallen overboard 170 miles east of the Bahamas. Photo courtesy of Dick Enerson. Chesapeake Bay Magazine by Meg Walburn Viviano BAY BULLETIN  SEARCH CALLED OFF FOR WOMAN LOST AT SEA SAILING TO ANNAPOLIS June 7, 2021 The Coast Guard has suspended its search for...

USCG Searching for 10 people in the water, 2 deceased, 8 rescued off Key West

May 28, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets The US Coast Guard is searching for 10 people missing at sea, after being reported Thursday, after the rescue of eight people and the recovery of two bodies, 16 miles south of Key West.  All boats should keep a sharp lookout and...

Eight Persons Missing on 23 foot Bayliner from Nassau, Bahamas to the US

May 19, 2021

BOLO For 23 Foot Bayliner with Eight Persons On Board Bahamian Captain Tarran Maynard, 35 years old and seven Dominicans are missing on a passage from Nassau to the US on a 23 foot Bayliner motorboat, white in color, with a blue Bimini, two 350 Yamaha engines and no name on the boat. The boat had...

BOLO for Overdue Boat on passage Key West, Fl to Guanaja, Honduras

May 16, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets Emergency BOLO for Overdue Boat on passage Key West, Fl to Guanaja, Honduras BOLO for two persons on board M/V Cats Paw on passage from Key West Florida to Guanaja, Honduras. Cat's Paw is described as 30 foot Rampage Sport Fish,...

SV “Good Luck” Grounded On East Coast Of Montserrat

May 14, 2021

CROSS Antilles Guyane / MRCC Fort-de-France The S/V "GOOD LUCK" is grounded on the east coast of Montserrat. Nobody on board. We don't know what happened. Bermuda or UK flag boat, 60ft, we do not know the current owner and are looking for information about this vessel (owner's name, last calls,...

Search Suspended for 8 Crew Still Missing From Seacor Power lift boat

Apr 14, 2021

UPDATE: April 19, 2021 Re Louisiana Rescue Operation: Coast Guard is suspending search for remaining 8 Seacor Power crewmembers NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is suspending its search Monday for the remaining missing Seacor Power lift boat crewmembers 8 miles south of Port Fourchon. Eight crew...

BOLO: Power Boat Stolen From Grand Cay Abaco, Bahamas

Apr 11, 2021

Non Emergency BOLO for Boat Stolen In Grand Cay Bahamas A 23 foot Parker power boat was stolen March 30, 2021 from Grand Cay, Abaco in the Bahamas. Report all sightings to the Royal Bahamas Police Force or your nearest Coast Guard. The owner Russell Mc Garrett can be contacted at (242-817-0209).

BOLO: Two Bahamians Missing in Skiff Off Long Island, Bahamas

Apr 7, 2021

Update February 23, 2021 SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Coast Guard air and surface units assisted a distressed sailing vessel Monday that was taking on water with eight people onboard in the Caribbean Sea, approximately 80 nautical miles south of Santa Isabel, Puerto Rico.The Zoma, a 46-foot Danish...

Fishing Vessel Adrift Off Dominica

Mar 24, 2021

British Sailor Sarm Heslop Missing from SV Siren Song, Frank Bay, St. John, USVI

Mar 15, 2021

Virgin Island Police and USCG authorities are seeking any information on the disappearance of British sailor, Sarm Joan Lillian Heslop on March 7, 2021, from the charter catamaran, Siren Song located in Frank Bay, St. John, USVI. Sarm Heslop is described as 41 years old and from Southhampton.Ryan...

SV Barnacle Adrift, 3 Rescued by Cargo Ship, Mexico, Cuba

Mar 10, 2021

One Person Onboard 4 Meter Boat Overdue Salisbury Dominica

Feb 26, 2021

BOLO: For Two Persons Aboard Small Boat Off Jeremie, Haiti

SV Rebecca Souimanga Adrift And Desmasted

Jan 21, 2021

UPDATE: January 22, 2021: The owner of this sailing vessel advises that the cargo ship that rescued him was the Harvest Frost. The sailor expresses his gratitude to the ship and all involved in the rescue. The SV is a Belgium flagged boat....

Man Overboard From MV Baltic Klipper 1,200 Miles NE of Bermuda

Jan 8, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO:January 8, 2021, at 9 PM, USCG RCC Norfolk confirmed that a man was overboard from the container ship, MV Baltic Klipper at 35-44N 041-30W. This is 1,200 miles NE of Bermuda. Lookout, assist if possible. The USCG is...

BOLO: Colombian Coast Guard Conducting Rescue Near Sapzurro

Jan 5, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO ISSUED AT 0134 HRS UTC, 5 JAN 2021 Search and rescue operations in progress by the Colombian Coast Guard. Five persons missing in vicinity of 08-35.76N 077-17.10W. This position is  6 NM SE OF SAPZURRO, COLOMBIA on the...

10 Meter SV Adrift and Disables Off Montserrat, Eastern Caribbean

Jan 3, 2021

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO: UPDATE January 10, 2021-  The adrift 30 foot Sailing Vessel spotted previously, 12 NM WSW of Montserrat in the Eastern Caribbean has been spotted again at: 16-11.12N and 065-24.25W. The vessel is 10 meters in length with a...

SV EXODE Stolen From Nassau, Bahamas In August 2020 Spotted In December 2020

Dec 31, 2020

UPDATE: 31 DEC 2020: The S/V EXODE was spotted in Nassau Harbor today.   Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets There is an active lookout for a stolen sailboat from Nassau, Bahamas. The stolen vessel is a 1976 Irwin sloop named EXODE, 37 feet in length, which...

BOLO: Twenty Persons Aboard 29 Foot Mako Missing Bimini to Lake Worth, Florida

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets The USCG RCC Miami has an active search for a 29 foot Mako cuddy cabin, blue and white in color, and powered by two (2) 250 HP Yamaha two stroke outboard engines. The vessel was believed to have departed Bimini, Bahamas at 0700...

BOLO: Man Overboard West Indian Ocean, Madagascar

Dec 21, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO for man overboard from Vessel Egret Oasis in the vicinity of trackline joining 25-44S 048-26E, 25-50S 048-14E in the West Indian Ocean, Madagascar. Vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep a sharp lookout, assist if...

BOLO For Three Fishermen Missing In The Bua Waters of Fiji, South Pacific

Dec 14, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO for three fishermen are missing from the Bua Waters of Fiji, South Pacific. Their boat is described as white and 29 feet. Fiji Navy Search and Rescue Centre, have been searching the Bua waters since the report was lodged by...

JRCC Australia Looking For Man Overboard From HWA Hung

Dec 11, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets 0615 Hrs 11 DEC 2020: JRCC Australia is reporting a man overboard from the vessel HWA HUNG in position 10-04S / 081-35E. All vessels in the vicinity are requested to keep a sharp lookout, assist if possible, and report any...

BOLO: Man Overboard FV Sea Goddess Hawaii

Dec 10, 2020

UPDATE 11 DEC 2020: HONOLULU — The Coast Guard has suspended the active search for the missing mariner who fell overboard approximately 150-miles southeast of Big Island, Friday evening. The mariner, a Republic of Kiribati native, remains missing. “Our crews and partners worked diligently, but...

BOLO: Man Overboard From Tourist Boat Caloosahatchee River Near Ft. Myers

Dec 5, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO: USCG is searching on the Caloosahatchee River for a man who fell overboard from a tourist boat on Friday night at around 8:15 PM. USCG advised they are searching in the area of Marker 64 on the River near the Midpoint...

BOLO: Sailor Travis Gates Missing Guatamala, Honduras, Belize

Dec 2, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets BOLO (Be On Lookout): Travis Gates, white male, age 45 is missing from his sailing vessel "Avenir" on a passage from El Golfete, also known as Texan Bay on the Rio Dulce River, Guatemala to Placencia, Belize on Monday November...

Coast Guard Suspends Search For Missing Fishermen Off Massachusetts

Nov 23, 2020

UPDATE:0618 HRS EST 24 NOV 2020: BOSTON — The Coast Guard suspended the active search for four missing fishermen off the coast of Massachusetts, 5:22 p.m., Tuesday. “The decision to suspend a search is never an easy one. Our crews conducted searches continuously for over 38 hours covering an area...

UPDATE: URGENT BOLO: Search For Missing Diver Off Trinidad – Reinaldo Novoa

Nov 13, 2020

UPDATE: Nov. 17, 2020                      *URGENT HELP NEEDED* Reinaldo Novoa, Retired Nurse and pharmacy representative, father to two boys, married to Jasema Mungalsingh, grandfather to 7 grandchildren,*went missing off the coast of Mayaro while doing an open dive, at 3:45pm yesterday. He is a...

Search Suspended Two Persons Missing From Overturned Boat, Beaufort, N.C.

Nov 11, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network and Other Nets: BOLO Canceled: The US Coast Guard suspended its search for two persons in the water, after an overturned 35 foot recreational vessel was discovered near Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina on November 10, 2020. Anyone with...

BOLO For Missing Fisherman Off Montauk, New York

Nov 8, 2020

UPDATE 1532 HRS 08 NOV 2020: Coast Guard suspends search for missing fisherman off Montauk, N.Y. NEW YORK — The Coast Guard suspended the search Sunday afternoon for a missing fisherman who went overboard 16 nautical miles south of Montauk Point, New York, Saturday....

Hazzard To Navigation 172 miles Off Cape Hatteras After Sailors Rescued

Nov 4, 2020

BROADCAST VERSION FOR MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NETWORK AND OTHER RADIO NETS UPDATE 0745 HRS, 06 NOV 2020.  THE USCG RCC NORFOLK ADVISED THE PRESENT POSITION OF THE ABANDONED S/V BALI HAI At 0146 hrs UTC 06 NOV 2020 WAS LOCATED AT 36 01.1 N / 071 58 W. This vessel should be considered a hazard to...

BOLO For Scarab LOS ALBERTOS With 5 Persons Off Colon, Panama

Oct 12, 2020

BROADCAST VERSION FOR MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NETWORK AND OTHER RADIO NETS BOLO for a 33 foot wellcraft Scarab with the name of "LOS ALBERTOS" with five (5) persons on board (POB) 25 miles W/NW of Colon, Panama. The vessel was last seen on 10 October 2020 near Volcan Reef in position 9 32.131 N /...

BOLO for SV Maserval Stolen From Cap d’Agde, France and Seen in the Balearic Islands, Spain

Sep 12, 2020

BROADCAST VERSION FOR MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NETWORK AND OTHER RADIO NETS All vessels are requested to be on the lookout (BOLO) for the S/V MASERVAL, a Sun Odyssey 33i which was stolen from Cap d'Agde is located on France's Mediterranean coast at 43 17 N / 03 31 E. The S/V MASERVAL is a Jeanneau...

SV RANA II Stolen – Last Seen In Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, Canary Islands

ANNOUNCEMENT FOR THE MARITIME MOBILE SERVICE NET All vessels in the Mediterranean are requested to keep a sharp lookout for the S/V RANA II. This vessel is a 1974, 48 foot Olympic sailboat (Made in Greece) which was stolen in Marseille, France on 24 JANUARY 2020. A surveillance camera confirmed...

Two Missing Sailors From SV Dancing Brave Adrift Off St. Barthelemy Island, Eastern Caribbean in Dinghy

Sep 3, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets MRCC Fort De France, Martinique, has asked Boatwatch.org for assistance in locating two persons in an overdue inflatable dinghy, brand is HIGHFIELD, and length is 2.50 meters, white hull, with pale grey pontoons, powered by a...

New York, Bermuda, BVI’s SV Tally Ho! Boat Watch

Jul 24, 2020

**********UPDATE 23 JULY 2020***************************** While speaking with USCG RCC Boston regarding a different matter, it was learned the EPIRB for the S/V TALLY HO was located. Boatwatch was not aware of that development. Here is what RCC Boston told us: On 20MAR2020 the EPIRB from the...

Search Called Off for SV OHANA-ULI Off Tanzania/Seychelles

Jul 22, 2020

UPDATE July 24, 2020 From the family of Del and Craig Mc Ewan. To our dear friends and family, It is with a heavy heart that after every effort possible has been made we need to inform you that the search for Del and Craig McEwan has been called off with no recovery being made. We would like to...

BOLO Crew Member Missing Tanker Hellas Gladiator 400 Miles Off NC

Jun 24, 2020

UPDATE 26 June 2020: Cancel Bolo: Coast Guard suspends search for missing tanker ship crew member near Cape Hatteras, North  Carolina ************** Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets The Coast Guard is searching for a crew member of a tanker ship approximately...

Mega Yacht Captain Bob Peel lost at sea on his Sailboat KALAYAAN in the Caribbean

Apr 3, 2020

Veteran Sailor Lost At Sea From the Royal Gazette of Bermuda Owain Johnston-Barnes Published Apr 8, 2020 at 8:00 am (Updated Apr 8, 2020 at 7:37 am) A veteran sailor with close ties to Bermuda is missing in the Caribbean. Bob Peel, the former captain of the Boadicea, the superyacht owned by Reg...

Search Supended For Survivors of Small Plane Crash Emerald Isle North Carolina

Mar 24, 2020

Coast Guard suspends search for two missing persons associated with plane crash near Emerald Isle, North Carolina U.S. Coast Guard sent this bulletin at 03/24/2020 09:14 PM EDT PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard suspended its search Tuesday evening for two missing persons involved in a Cessna...

BOLO For Missing Sailor 32 Miles NW Marco Island

Mar 10, 2020

UPDATE: March 13,2020, USCG has advised that the search for Mr. Jim Clauson has been suspended pending further developments. Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets The USCG St Petersburg, FL has asked the public's assistance in locating Mr. Jim Clauson, age 73, who...

U K Captain K.P. Pearson of SV “UMZUNGU” Contact Trinidad Coast Guard

Mar 7, 2020

UPDATE 15:30 Eastern Time 08 Mar 2020: Anne Lloyd provided the following resolution to this case: it is a British flagged yacht called UMZUNGU call sign MNYT2; MMSI 235 038 556 owned by Mr K. P. Pearson. Please see the attached photo with the UK SSR Number for the SV UMZUNGU.  It is SSR 123188. If...

MV ROME Overdue Panama City Florida to Ft. Myers

Feb 26, 2020

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets UPDATE: 0645 hrs, 26 Feb 2020: USCG RCC Miami advised the search has been suspended for the M/V ROME. Update February 20, 2020 - U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center (RCC) Miami, FL has asked for assistance in locating...

Urgent Watch For Unknown Vessel In Distress Willmington, N. Carolina

Feb 11, 2020

Update- February 13, 2020 - Coast Guard suspends search. WILMINGTON, N.C. — The Coast Guard suspended its search on Thursday after an unregistered emergency position indicating radio beacon alert lead responders to debris approximately 126 miles southeast off the coast of Wilmington, North...

Four Missing At Sea Bahamas to Jamaica

Jan 31, 2020

The M/V Fatal Attraction and Crew of Four Missing For Three Years Between Bahamas and Jamaica The family of four missing men, three from Jamaica, and one from the Bahamas has asked Boatwatch.org to list them as missing since 06 Jan 2017. We know it's been a long time, but listing them...

Missing Crew Off Tanker “Star Aquila” Dauphin, Alabama

Jan 23, 2020

BOLO Cancelled.  Coast Guard searching for missing person near Dauphin Island, AL NEW ORLEANS — The Coast Guard is searching for one person who went missing aboard the vessel Star Aquila, Thursday, approximately 12 nautical miles south of Dauphin Island, Alabama. Watchstanders at Coast Guard...

BOLO Canceled: Search Suspended For 2 Missing Mariners In Pamlico Sound, NC

Jan 8, 2020

January 9, 2020 Coast Guard suspends search for 2 missing mariners in Pamlico Sound, North Carolina Watch the above video of the USCG rescue swimmers. PAMLICO COUNTY, N.C. — The Coast Guard suspended its search Thursday afternoon for two mariners who were reported missing after the commercial...

SV AVRIO Found Off Jamaica

Dec 20, 2019

Broadcast Version For Maritime Mobile Service Network & Other Nets UPDATE: This BROADCAST VERSION IS VALID 29 JAN 2020 The SV Avrio was initially sighted by the US coast guard on 27 January at 01:27 local time (06:27 UK) 71 nautical miles from Ocho Rios which is in on the north coast Jamaica....

SV Simba Found on Reef in the Red Sea

Dec 13, 2019

Update: January 7, 2020 Out of respect, and at the specific request of the family, Boatwatch.org has not been providing additional information on the website. If anyone has pertinent information, or may be able to help or assist the family in any way, please contact Boat Watch at...

Search For Missing Fishermen off Puerto Rico

Nov 26, 2019

Update: USCG discontinues search. Coast Guard continues search for missing fisherman off “Caza y Pesca” Beach in Arecibo, Puerto Rico SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard rescue crews continue to search Tuesday for a missing fisherman in waters off “Caza y Pesca” Beach in Arecibo, Puerto Rico....

Bayliner H.M.S. Me II Missing N.Carolina to Norfolk

Nov 25, 2019

Update: Active USCG Search Cancelled USCG CANCELS SEARCH FOR M/V H.M.S. Me II Valid 25 NOV 2019 PORTSMOUTH, Va. — The Coast Guard has suspended its search for a 50-year-old man who was reported missing while transiting from New York to Florida aboard his 35-foot recreational vessel, Monday....

Sailboat Iona, Peter Rang, Missing Bermuda to Azores

Nov 13, 2019

UPDATE: New information confirms that there is a  second person on board, Tom Cleeren, from Belgium. Also, RCC Bermuda confirms a departure date of September 6, 2019. RCC Azores has no record of the IONA arriving. SV IONA, a Hunter Legend 37.5, with experienced single-hander sailor Peter Rang and...

Two 30-Foot Boats Adrift Between Bahamas Vero Beach

Oct 21, 2019

The U.S. Coast Guard Rescue Coordination Center, Miami, Florida has asked Boatwatch.org assistance in locating the owner(s) of two overturned vessels located  on 20 OCT 2019 by the M/V ACE INDEPENDENCE and USCG  in position 27 54.5 N / 079 15.8 W, or approximately 60 NM East of Vero Beach, FL, and...

Estonian Sailor Mysteriously Disappears, Honduras

Oct 17, 2019

Update: Tribute to Andreas Sepsaka, SV Salacia Watch the beautiful tribute to Andreas made by another sailor at the location where Andreas and his boat disappeared. In the early hours of 11 June 2019, two separate EPIRB activations were received from the S / V SALACIA with only sailor ANDREAS...

SV Blue Highways, 44’ Beneteau Oceanis missing, presumed stolen

Oct 3, 2019

The S/V BLUE HIGHWAYS is a 44’ Beneteau Oceanis which was missing and presumed stolen from a private mooring located in Leverick Bay, Virgin Gorda, BVI.  The vessel was last seen on the mooring buoy on April 6, 2019 and missing on April 7, 2019. This boat is not to be confused with the S/V BLUE...

Loss of Firefighters off Cape Canaveral, FL

Aug 18, 2019

Update: Family, Community Honor Life of Missing Jacksonville Firefighter Read the article at https://www.news4jax.com/news/celebration-of-life-this-morning-for-missing-firefighter Update: "That was a very devastating time": Wife of missing Jacksonville firefighter opens up about husband and search...

SV Trinavis Missing, Caribbean

Jul 4, 2019

July 2019, Friends of Rocco Acocella advised SSCA KPK radio service that he was overdue on a passage between St. Maarten and Barranquilla, Colombia. He left St. Maarten on June 17th, on his 8-meter trimaran, a Telstar MK II and intended to arrive in Barranquilla on June 28 or 29. His intention was...

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Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas cruise ship rescued 14 people adrift in the sea

Updated on: March 8, 2024 / 8:06 AM EST / AP

The crew of what is considered the world's largest cruise ship  rescued 14 people clinging to a small boat adrift on the ocean, authorities said.

Passengers aboard the Icon of the Seas  captured video of the crew using a small vessel to ferry the group to the safety of the cruise ship on Sunday. The cruise had begun in Miami, and the ship was headed for Honduras when the rescue happened, passengers said.

The cruise ship encountered the small vessel "adrift and in need of assistance," Miami-based Royal Caribbean said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.

"The ship's crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people on board," the company said. "The crew provided them with medical attention, and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard."

The crew broadcast "Code Oscar, Code Oscar, Code Oscar," over the loudspeakers around 3 p.m., Alessandra Amodio said in a report on FoxWeather.com .

Amodio said she watched as people on the tiny craft waved a large white flag.

"The boat turned around, and we pulled up as close as we could to them and stopped," Amodio said. The cruise ship then launched "a small zodiac-type rescue boat to investigate."

After the rescue, Amodio said the cruise ship's captain announced that the crew had rescued 14 people stranded at sea for eight days.

The Icon of the Seas is considered by cruise industry experts to be the largest cruise ship in the world at the moment. It can host 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members. The ship has 2,850 staterooms, 18 guest decks and seven swimming pools.

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9 Unbelievable True Stories About People Who Survived Being Lost at Sea

The sea can be harsh and unforgiving. These fortunate souls fought back against all odds.

→ Think you can survive anything? Let's brush up on our skills together.

A shipwreck out on the open ocean can be a death sentence. If a rescue team doesn't come in the first 48 hours, it probably never will. Learning to survive will take skill, courage, and a heaping of luck.

Here are nine stories of brave people who got lost at sea, and survived despite the odds.

(The following maps are only rough approximations of route and distance traveled.)

MORE DEEP SEA STORIES FROM POP MECH:

➡️ The 25 Coolest Shipwrecks in the World

➡️ The 50 Weirdest Freaks That Live Beneath the Sea

➡️ This Jurassic Deep Sea Creature Looks Like a (Terrifying) Starfish with Razor Teeth

Filo Filo, Etueni Nasau, and Samu Pelesa

In many Pacific island chains, people use small boats to sail from one island to the next. The islands are close enough together that sailing from one to the other is a relatively simple, cheap, and straightforward mode of travel.

For three teenage boys on the small island of Tokelau, sailing was routine. However, when Filo Filo, Etueni Nasau, and Samu Pelesa set sail on October 5, 2010, it would be a longer trip than any of them were expecting.

Shortly after sailing into the ocean, the three teens lost sight of the shore and became disoriented. Not knowing which way was home, the group became lost, drifting further and further from land.

They had brought enough water with them for two days, but that quickly ran out and they had to rely on rainwater . After a few weeks—with no food and no sign of rescue—they grew desperate enough to catch a bird and eat it.

Meanwhile, after a month with no news, their community believed that the boys were dead. Around 500 people attended a memorial service for the boys, representing about a third of the total population of the island chain.

Having spent more than a month adrift at sea, the three boys had no food and no water, and were suffering from extreme exposure. Their situation was so dire that they began drinking seawater , a sure sign that death is near. With only days or even hours left to live, a fishing boat halfway between Samoa and Fiji spotted them. They had drifted over 500 miles.

The sailor rescued the three boys and took them to a hospital in Fiji, and then back to their homes on Tokelau. They had been lost at sea for 50 days in total.

Brad Cavanagh and Deborah Kiley

Deborah Kiley was no stranger to the seas. She had spent most of her life working as a crew member on yachts around the world. So, she thought that signing up to crew the 58-foot sailing yacht Trashman in October of 1982 was just another job. It would turn out to be anything but .

John Lippoth, the captain of the ship, brought his girlfriend Meg Mooney along for the ride. The two other crew members on the trip were Mark Adams and Brad Cavanagh. The plan was to take the yacht from Annapolis, Maryland down to Florida to meet up with its owner.

The first half of the trip was pretty smooth sailing, although Kiley started noticing things that made her uneasy. Lippoth kept making excuses to go below deck, for instance, and Kiley soon realized that their captain was afraid of the ocean . Lippoth and Adams also spent the entire voyage completely drunk. Of the five people on that yacht, only Kiley and Cavanagh were experienced, capable sailors.

After the boat passed North Carolina, the trip took a turn for the worst. A massive storm appeared out of nowhere, and Trashman headed right into the heart of it. Kiley recalls wind speeds of over 70 knots, and 40-foot waves so powerful they ripped holes in the boat. Two days after they set sail, the yacht, torn apart by the sea, began to sink.

The crew managed to make it to a lifeboat , but not before the ship's rigging seriously injured Mooney, leaving severe lacerations on her arms and legs. Her bleeding attracted sharks, who followed the lifeboat for the remainder of the journey. The crew found themselves adrift with no supplies or water, miles from land.

Two days after the Trashman sunk, Lippoth and Adams, already dehydrated from alcohol and dying of thirst, began drinking seawater. They started hallucinating and rambling incoherently. On the third day, Lippoth—in a state of delirium—jumped into the water and attempted to swim to shore. He was immediately attacked and killed by the sharks . Soon, Adams jumped overboard as well, muttering something about going to get some cigarettes. The sharks attacked him also, so violently that the boat spun around and the water turned red.

That night, Mooney succumbed to her injuries, dying of blood poisoning. Kiley and Cavanagh, the only two left, had to toss her body overboard where she, too, was eaten by sharks. Shortly after, Kiley and Cavanagh, close to death themselves, were spotted by a Russian cargo ship off the coast of Cape Hatteras. The crew rescued them four days after they abandoned ship, and five days after setting sail.

Steven Callahan

Steven Callahan is an expert on sailing. Specifically, a naval architect who has been sailing ships since he was young. He even built his own boat, called the Napoleon Solo , and set sail from Rhode Island in 1981. His travels led him all over the Atlantic: first to Bermuda, and then to the coast of Europe. On his way back, bound for Antigua, he ran into trouble .

About a week after he set sail for home, a storm started brewing. The storm was relatively mild, and Callahan said he wasn't worried. But his boat hit something that tore a gaping hole in the bottom. Callahan suspected it was either a whale or a large shark.

The boat began filling up with water, and Callahan made it to his inflatable raft. But he needed the emergency supplies in the cabin, which was already underwater. Diving in again and again, he managed to retrieve food, water, flares, a spear gun, solar stills, and a handful of other items. All in all, he was particularly well-equipped to be adrift.

And a good thing too, because Callahan drifted on his raft for 76 days. During that time, he faced threats from starvation, dehydration, sharks, and raft punctures. Finally, some sailors off the coast of Marie-Galante, near Guadalupe, spotted him. He had lost a third of his weight and could barely stand, so they took him to a hospital for treatment. However, Callahan didn't even stay the night, opting instead to recuperate on the island, while hitchhiking throughout the West Indies.

Much later, Steven Callahan would work as an advisor on the movie Life of Pi , providing his sea survival expertise to make the film more realistic.

Poon Lim holds the world record for the longest survival on a life raft. It's not a record he hopes anyone will ever beat.

Poon was a Chinese sailor on the British Merchant vessel SS Benlomond during WWII. The ship had left Cape Town, South Africa on its way to New York when a German U-boat attacked it a few hundred miles off the coast of Brazil. That encounter destroyed the ship, but Poon managed to escape with a life jacket. He was the ship's sole survivor.

After about two hours, Poon found a small wooden raft and climbed aboard. Amazingly, the raft contained some survival supplies , like food, water, and flares. But as the days turned into weeks, and his food started to run low, Poon had to improvise.

He began by crafting a makeshift fishing hook and catching fish. With his new food supply and the water from his raft, he felt he might be able to make it. He still had his flares, and all he had to do was wait for a ship to come close.

Then things took a turn for the worst. A storm hit, and Poon lost all his food and water. With no supplies, and close to death, Poon had to go to extremes to survive. With the last of his strength, he caught a passing bird and killed it, drinking its blood to quench his thirst.

Poon realized that if he was going to survive, he would need a more permanent water source. The only one available happened to be protected by many sharp teeth. Still, Poon strengthened his fishing line and started trying to catch sharks. He managed to hook one, and brought it onboard. He drank the blood from the shark's liver to sustain himself.

After 133 days, Poon drifted close to the shore of Brazil, where some fishermen rescued him, and took him to a hospital to recover. Despite being lost at sea for almost half a year, he had only lost around 20 pounds and could walk by himself.

Maurice and Marilyn Bailey

In 1973, Maurice and Marilyn Bailey were planning to live out their dream of moving from their home in England to New Zealand. They sold their house, bought a yacht, and set sail with their possessions. They believed the trip would be a pleasant journey. They were wrong .

The first half of their voyage went well, and they passed through the Panama Canal in February of that year. Soon after, they ran into trouble, or more accurately, trouble ran into them.

While both of the Baileys were below deck, they felt a massive impact. Rushing onto the deck, the couple saw a whale diving below the water and a large hole in their hull. The ship quickly began to sink, and the Baileys grabbed what little they could and headed for their life raft.

The couple was stranded in the Pacific with a few days' worth of food, a compass , some flares, and little else. They collected rainwater to drink, and when their food ran out, they ate birds, fish, and even turtles.

During their time at sea, they spotted seven ships, which they attempted to signal, but no one noticed them. As the weeks stretched into months, they became badly sunburned and malnourished. Their life raft started to deflate, they were plagued by sharks, and they suffered multiple storms.

After 117 days stranded at sea, with no supplies and near the brink of death, they were finally rescued. A passing Korean ship spotted them in the water and changed course to bring them aboard. They could barely move and they were so weak that they couldn't eat solid foods.

The Korean ship dropped the Baileys off at Hawaii, where they immediately vowed to build another yacht and return to the sea, because they clearly didn't get the message the first time. With the proceeds from the book they wrote about their experiences, they did indeed build a second yacht, and spent years sailing around the world comparatively uneventfully.

Rose Noelle Crew

John Glennie, Rick Hellriegel, Jim Nalepka, and Phil Hofman were four friends who decided to take a winter vacation to the island of Tonga. They left on their ship, the Rose Noelle , and hoped for smooth sailing .

On June 4, 1989, three days after they set sail, a massive wave came out of nowhere and hit the ship, flipping it completely upside down and severely damaging it. The crew found themselves trapped in the ship's cabin, which began rapidly filling with water.

They set off a signal beacon in an attempt to get help, but the beacon went unanswered. Alone and trapped in a dark cabin, the crew had to chop a hole in the hull of the ship to escape. Fortunately the Rose Noelle , though now upside down, did not completely sink, and its wreckage served as a twisted vessel on which the men could still float.

A week later, with supplies running out, the signal beacon stopped working, still with no response or rescue. The crew were on their own.

After the ship's water reserves ran out, the crew rigged up a system to collect rainwater and started catching fish for food. They were still adrift, they had food, water, and shelter, so they were in no immediate danger as long as the weather didn't turn.

They drifted in this manner for weeks without rescue. Glennie began diving into the wreckage to recover pieces of the ship they could use. He managed to recover a gas cooker so the four men could have occasional barbecues.

On September 30, 118 days after they were set adrift, the four castaways and the wreckage of the Rose Noelle washed up on a beach in New Zealand. They were extremely lucky. A few months later, the wind and water currents would have taken them in the direction of South America.

Even the location on the beach where they washed ashore was fortunate. A few dozen yards to the left or right were rocky cliffs, and if the ship had landed there, it would have broken apart on the rocks.

Salvador Alvarenga

José Salvador Alvarenga holds the record for the longest solo survival at sea. He was adrift for 438 days, and traveled over 6,700 miles.

Alvarenga is a fisherman, and on November 17, 2012, he set sail from the fishing village of Costa Azul in Mexico. With him was Ezequiel Córdoba, another fisherman, whom Alvarenga had never worked with before.

Shortly after departing the shore, a storm hit their boat. It blew the ship off course, and damaged the motor and most of the electronics onboard. Alvarenga managed to contact his boss on the radio before it died, but he was unable to help.

The storm lasted for five days. When it ended, Alvarenga and Córdoba had no idea where they were or how to get home. The storm had destroyed most of their fishing gear, leaving them with only basic supplies. And with no motor, no sails, and no oars , their boat was adrift.

The two drifted for months, surviving on rainwater and catching sea animals like fish, turtles, and birds. After four months, Córdoba gave up hope. He stopped eating, and starved to death. Alvarenga says he considered giving up too, but persevered.

Even after four months at sea, Alvarenga was not even halfway through his ordeal. He tried signaling every ship he saw, but none of them spotted him. He continued surviving off rainwater and sea animals, and kept track of the time by the phases of the moon.

More than a year after the storm that set him adrift, Alvarenga spotted land. He abandoned his boat and swam for the shore, and found himself on one of the Marshall islands, on the other side of the Pacific from where he started. He was taken to a hospital, where he made a full recovery.

Louis Zamperini

Louis Zamperini first made national headlines in 1938 when he traveled to Berlin to compete in the Olympics. He ran in the 500-meter dash and placed 8th, which is more than enough to earn a spot in the history books. But Zamperini wasn't done yet .

In 1941, just a few months prior to Pearl Harbor, Zamperini enlisted in the United States military. He became a second lieutenant in the Air Force, and when the war began, he was deployed as a bombardier in the Pacific.

In 1943, during a search-and-rescue mission, his bomber suffered a mechanical failure that brought it down. It crashed in the ocean, and eight of the 11 crew members died. The three that survived were Zamperini and his crewmates Russell Allen Phillips and Francis McNamara.

The three crewmates were adrift in the Pacific Ocean, in enemy territory, with no food, water, or supplies. They managed to salvage two rafts from the wreckage of their plane, and collected enough rainwater to survive. They ate small fish and birds.

They drifted like this for weeks. After 33 days, McNamara died, leaving only Phillips and Zamperini. Two weeks later, their rafts washed ashore in the Marshall Islands and the two men were immediately captured by the Japanese.

Zamperini and Phillips were sent to various POW camps, and Zamperini eventually found himself at the Naoetsu camp in Northern Japan. There, he was tortured for two years by infamous prison guard Mutsuhiro Watanabe, one of Japan's most brutal war criminals. When the war finally ended in 1945, Zamperini was released and finally reunited with his family.

Oguri Jukichi

Jukichi was a sailor during Japan's Edo period, about 200 years ago. He was the captain of the freighter Tokujomaru and its crew of 14 men. He was transporting soybeans to the city of Edo, which would become present-day Tokyo, when his ship was caught in a massive storm. The storm damaged the ship's mast and set them adrift .

Very quickly, the crew exhausted their supply of food and water. They began surviving entirely on captured rainwater and the large stores of soybeans in the ship's hold. After several months, members of the crew began suffering from scurvy due to lack of nutrients.

One by one, over months, the crew started dying, while the Tokujomaru drifted further and further from home. After more than a year adrift, only three people were left: the captain Jukichi, and two members of the crew, Otokichi and Hanbe. All three were suffering the effects of scurvy and likely close to death when their ship was discovered off the coast of California in 1815.

The three Japanese sailors became the first people from that country to set foot on American shores. They had drifted over 5,000 miles and were lost at sea for 484 days.

The three sailors returned to Japan after recovering, however Hanbe died during the trip. Upon their return, Jukichi received numerous honors, and was granted a last name, Oguri. Even 200 years later, Jukichi still holds the Guinness World Record for longest time adrift at sea.

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Hundreds of ships go missing each year, but we have the technology to find them

Senior Lecturer in Astronomy, University of Leicester

Disclosure statement

Nigel Bannister works for the University of Leicester. He received funding from US Office of Naval Research - Global to conduct this work.

University of Leicester provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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The seas are vast. And they claim vessels in significant numbers. The yachts Cheeki Rafiki , Niña , Munetra , Tenacious are just some of the more high-profile names on a list of lost or capsized vessels which grows by hundreds each year.

Yet it took the disappearance of flight MH370, now declared lost with no survivors , to demonstrate how difficult it can be to find something in the open ocean. As the search continued, incredulity grew: exactly how, in the 21st century, is it possible to lose a 64-metre aircraft?

There are great unknowns at sea: planes and boats go missing. Illegal fishing and piracy are easy to conduct – and small vessels can smuggle powerful weapons and dangerous individuals. The technology to improve this situation already exists, we just need to make better use of it.

The view from above

Satellites provide the vantage point necessary to monitor large areas of ocean. Spacecraft carrying synthetic aperture radar (SAR) can provide high-quality images with resolution down to a metre, regardless of the weather. But the relatively small number of spacecraft equipped with SAR, and the dawn-to-dusk orbits which most occupy, also limit the times of day when they can provide coverage.

To offer comprehensive monitoring at sea, we need to bring together different types of imaging, including radar and photographic images in the human-visible wavelength. This is often overlooked for maritime purposes due to the effects of cloud, rain, and darkness that limit its use. But there are enough satellites with the capability that could provide excellent coverage.

Detail and coverage

The two key requirements for effective monitoring are high spatial resolution (good detail) and a large field of view (wide area). One tends to come at the expense of the other, so that a device – whether it is a camera, satellite or radar – capable of detecting small vessels will usually only be able to scan an area a few tens of kilometres wide, making it both unlikely that the search area of interest has been recorded and rendering subsequent searches very slow.

But the situation is changing. The number of imagers is growing rapidly. In our recently published study , we identified 54 satellites carrying 85 sensors which offer useful resolution and could be accessed commercially (excluding military surveillance spacecraft). Companies such as PlanetLabs are in the process of launching many more.

While each satellite’s imaging device generates an image track only 10-100km across, the motion of the satellite as it orbits the Earth effectively “scans” that track so that the image is narrow in one dimension but circles the world in the other. With orbital periods of around 90 minutes, one satellite makes around 16 passes over the daylit hemisphere every day. The combined imaging work of all these satellites now make a significant contribution to our awareness of maritime traffic.

Image early, image often

Imagery used in search-and-rescue operations is usually taken after the target is lost. In the case of the Niña which disappeared off the coast of New Zealand, eight days elapsed between last radio contact and the alarm being raised. For MH370, the search area evolved over periods of weeks. In both cases, ocean currents carry evidence away from the accident site, while debris disperses and sinks, making it more difficult to identify by satellite.

It would be far better to have an archive of recent, regularly updated images so that the recent history of a location over a period of several days can be examined. This could offer evidence of the vessel’s course or state, or pick up on areas of fresh, concentrated debris.

Making the best of what we have

Satellites with visible wavelength cameras are generally used for gathering images of land. What if satellite operators could generate revenue by taking images of the oceans? The limited resources on satellites mean that it isn’t generally possible to constantly take images, to store that data and transmit it all in the next available contact with the ground (which may be some time after an image is acquired). As it is, it’s not possible to create a global maritime monitoring system of this kind without purpose-built spacecraft with bigger data storage and more frequent contact with ground stations to download it.

But it is possible to monitor high-priority areas of heavy traffic, protected fisheries and security-critical regions, with co-operation between operators of existing spacecraft (for which there are precedents such as George Clooney’s Satellite Sentinel Project , which uses satellites to gather evidence of atrocities and war crimes), and incentives, perhaps involving maritime insurance companies.

Retrieving hundreds of gigabytes of data a day from satellites requires a new approach to ground stations. One solution may be to “crowdsource”: to create a network of stations operated by small institutions, universities and individuals to spread the burden of downloading data and increasing the periods during which data can be recorded and transmitted.

There are groups working on automated vessel-detection algorithms – and crowdsourcing also has a role here, such as TomNod , for example, which asked members of the public to help inspect images online in the search for Niña. How much more effective could search and rescue be if the power of crowdsourcing was applied to each stage of data acquisition, storage and processing, combined with high-quality images taken around the time the vessel was lost?

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Crew of the giant Icon of the Seas cruise ship rescues 14 people adrift in the sea

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MIAMI (AP) — The crew of what is considered the world’s largest cruise ship rescued 14 people clinging to a small boat adrift on the ocean, authorities said.

Passengers aboard the Icon of the Seas captured video of the crew using a small vessel to ferry the group to the safety of the cruise ship on Sunday. The cruise had begun in Miami, and the ship was headed for Honduras when the rescue happened, passengers said.

The cruise ship encountered the small vessel “adrift and in need of assistance,” Miami-based Royal Caribbean said in a statement to The Associated Press on Thursday.

“The ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people on board,” the company said. “The crew provided them with medical attention, and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard.”

The crew broadcast “Code Oscar, Code Oscar, Code Oscar,” over the loudspeakers around 3 p.m., Alessandra Amodio said in a report on FoxWeather.com .

Amodio said she watched as people on the tiny craft waved a large white flag.

“The boat turned around, and we pulled up as close as we could to them and stopped,” Amodio said. The cruise ship then launched “a small zodiac-type rescue boat to investigate.”

After the rescue, Amodio said the cruise ship’s captain announced that the crew had rescued 14 people stranded at sea for eight days.

The Icon of the Seas is considered by cruise industry experts to be the largest cruise ship in the world at the moment, the Miami Herald reported . It can host 5,610 guests and 2,350 crew members. The ship has 2,850 staterooms, 18 guest decks and seven swimming pools.

Watch: World's largest cruise ship rescues 14 people stranded at sea for over a week

Passengers caught the unusual sight on video when people stranded on a small boat flagged down the behemoth ship for help..

Cruise ship rescued 14 stranded at sea for over a week

This was the scene from the lunch buffet during the first full day of cruising for the Icon of the Seas. The crew rescued all 14 from the distressed boat which was dwarfed by the largest cruise ship in the world.

The largest cruise ship in the world rescued 14 people Sunday who had been stranded on a small boat for eight days.

Alessandra Amodio was traveling on Royal Caribbeans's Icon of the Seas with her family when the rescue happened.

"We were really surprised and honestly a little freaked out," Amodio said. "We’ve been on a handful of cruises and never seen something like this happen. It was crazy to think that these people were stuck at sea for so long, and we were all on board excited and relieved that the ship was able to rescue them."

WATCH: STORM FLOODS CRUISE SHIP IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

The largest cruise ship in the world has 20 decks, 2,800 guest cabins, holds 2,350 crew, seven pools and a water park.

(Alessandra Amodio / FOX Weather)

She watched the small boat from the windows of the lunch buffet. People on the tiny craft were waving a large white flag.

"The boat turned around, and we pulled up as close as we could to them and stopped," Amodio said. "RCC (Royal Caribbean) deployed a small zodiac-type rescue boat to investigate."

As you can imagine, turning around the largest cruise ship in the world takes quite a while. Getting near a small boat without swamping it in the ship's wake takes careful skill. The detour and rescue took about two hours, according to Amodio.

"Everyone around us was watching from the windows with us and just talking about how this isn’t something we ever thought to experience, and we hoped everyone on board was OK," she said. "But never were we afraid for ourselves."

CARNIVAL CRUISE'S JUBILEE VESSEL RESCUE TWO MEN OFF MEXICO

The Icon of the Seas at port.

She described the boat as a small dot in the vastness of the sea.

Royal Caribbean didn't provide much information about the rescue.

"On March 3, 2024,  Icon of the Seas  encountered a small vessel adrift and in need of assistance," the company said in a statement. "The ship’s crew immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people onboard. The crew provided them with medical attention , and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard."

Amodio said the crew had to take several trips to the small boat to rescue everyone.

WATCH: MASSIVE ROGUE WAVE BATTERS CRUISE SHIP IN NORTH SEA

One of many rescue trips to bring those stranded on board the cruise ship

This is video of one of the trips the cruise ship's crew made to bring back those rescued.

This was the ship's first full day of cruising. The eight-day vacation started in Miami and the ship was headed for Honduras. Amodio estimated from a map that the Icon of the Seas was between Cozumel, Mexico and western Cuba.

Captain's legal responsibility to aid boaters in distress

According to Amodio, the crew broadcast "Code Oscar, Code Oscar, Code Oscar," over the loudspeakers, about 3 p.m.

"Then shortly after, the captain came back on the speaker and announced they spotted a distressed vessel, and they were going to turn us around and investigate," she said. 

Amodio said that after the rescue, the captain announced that the crew had rescued 14 people stranded at sea for eight days. The captain said he didn't know what country they came from.

All the rescued people left the ship the next day while docked in Roatan, Honduras, she said.

HOW TO WATCH FOX WEATHER

File: In an aerial view, Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, billed as the world's largest cruise ship, is moored at PortMiami after returning from its maiden voyage on February 03, 2024, in Miami, Florida. The 1,197-foot long ship cost $1.79 billion to build, has 20 decks, and can hold a maximum of 7,600 people. 

(Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

According to maritime law, a ship and crew have a legal and moral obligation to help save human life.

"A master of a ship at sea, which is in a position to be able to provide assistance on receiving a signal from any source that persons are in distress at sea, is bound to proceed with all speed to their assistance," stated the International Maritime Organization .

Code Oscar is unique to Royal Caribbean, according to Marine Insight . The emergency code is usually used when a person falls overboard. Captains use the signal instead of shouting orders to "prevent the potentiality of chaos."

This is the Icon of the Seas' inaugural season. Its very first voyage with passengers was early this year, and FOX Weather got a tour.

CRUISE SHIP CARNIVAL SUNSHINE POUNDED BY LARGE WAVES DURING COASTAL STORM NEAR CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

World's largest cruise ship debuting in Miami

It's time to say goodbye to your worries and set sail on your next vacation. Royal Caribbean has made history in Miami this week with the arrival of their largest cruise ship yet, called Icon of the Seas. It has a bunch of weather-ready amenities, including its own chief meteorologist, and that's just the start. Lifestyle expert Carey Reilly is on deck to give us a sneak peek at the boatloads of fun.

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9 Things You Need To Survive Being Lost At Sea (Guide 2022)

Imagine being lost at sea , alone and with no hope of being found. When the boat you are on sinks, it is now up to you to keep yourself alive. With no food or water in sight, being stranded can be a traumatizing situation indeed. 

In the vast, dark ocean, you can't see land anywhere. The waves are crashing against the boat, it's taking everything in you not to panic. You're lost at sea with no food or water; this is where many people have died before from dehydration or starvation. 

But what if there was something you could do? What if being prepared for this type of event meant that your chances of survival were much higher? That's where this blog comes into play! 

What happens psychologically when one is lost at sea?

Well, being lost at sea can take a severe psychological toll on someone.

First of all, being out there alone in the middle of the ocean is not something that anyone can handle well, and it takes an enormous amount of willpower to stay sane when left with only oneself for company.The majority of people who are lost at sea usually experience anger, denial, depression, or even panic attacks from time to time. The feeling depends on how long they have been adrift because after being stranded without any land in sight for too long, one starts losing hope and begins picturing their death, which makes one contemplate suicide.

What is the longest someone has been lost at sea?

The longest someone has been lost at sea without being rescued is 76 days. 

This was reported by a man named Steven Callahan , who had set out on an expedition in 1982 to cross the Atlantic Ocean from Massachusetts to France and got caught up in Hurricane Emily, which caused him to become stranded for over three months before eventually being found. He wrote about his experience of being adrift for so long, including how hard it became just thinking that no one would ever know what happened or where he was when he finally saw land again. 

He also never stopped thinking about suicide until there were other people around him with their own stories; they all helped each other through those difficult times, but to survive, you need more than just good company.

What’s the number of sailboats lost at sea each year?

The United States Coast Guard does not track the number of sailboats lost at sea worldwide each year.

Many factors go into how many sailboats get lost at sea each year. Accurate statistics also do not exist because no studies have been done on how many sailboats get lost at sea each year.

Many boats disappear without a trace in unknown areas or following hurricanes, yet these disappearances are never recorded as accidents since they cannot be confirmed.

It is estimated that around 5500 vessels and 2 million lives were lost between 1865-2004 worldwide, while only 1 471 ships and 23 000 lives were reported lost. The number of boats above triples the number of lives lost; some may have run out of food and other suppliers; we focus on emergency preparedness for such natural disasters at the survival box.

Today, we will discuss ten things one needs when lost at sea and how they can improve their chances for survival!

Here are the top 10 things you need to survive being lost at sea. These are not necessarily items you would pack for your trip, but rather what you might need if your boat capsized or got run over by a storm while out on the water.

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1. Stop and Think Your next Action

 You’ve just discovered that you are lost at sea. You’re unsure if rescue will be arriving, so here are some survival tips:

Stop—you can't do anything about your situation until it is safe to do so. Think—consider all of your options and ensure you're calm enough to make a proper decision Observe—identify any dangers or resources surrounding you Plan—develop a plan of action with these goals: speaking calmly with family; assessing and anticipating time needed before rescue arrives

2. Relax, Don’t Panic!

 In an emergency, panic is a tremendous energy stealer. While you freak out and regret meaningless things, the smartest thing to do is maintain a cool head and figure out how to get yourself safely back on land. It doesn’t mean your safety has been guaranteed; nevertheless, keeping calm will increase the odds that you survive in water. Being calm equals being safe.

3. Avoid Drinking Sea Water Or urine

Don't drink seawater as it will make you very sick; remember, salt is an essential nutrient, not something you should consume. Being lost at sea without much water, some sailors have successfully drunk urine and sweat from their bodies just to survive. Keep in mind that urine contains toxins such as nitrogenous wastes and ammonia. Ingesting these can be hazardous to your health so if possible avoid peeing directly into your mouth or drinking too much of your sweat. 

If there are fish around, try catching them for food and then use the water inside them instead of drinking fresh water. Do not drink seawater. If you have a raincoat, take off the hood and use it to catch rainwater. 

These two things make good containers: plastic bags and rain boots. Always rinse them with the first raindrops to get salt out of them that comes from the sea.

4. Create or look for Shelter

Your odds of surviving at the shoreline are lower if you’ve been in cold water for a while, and hypothermia is the most likely reason. This positive effect becomes exponential if you can dry off quickly and get enough layers on your body. If you're not alone, huddle together or try to warm up with another (lucky) survivor in their sleep bag.

Don't discard any clothing when lost at sea, you need the clothes to keep you warm during cold at night, shelter helps protect you as you try to figure out how to get rescued.

The importance of having shelter over your head and protecting your body when stuck at sea with no help coming your way is that you can keep from overheating during the day, and keep yourself dry for when it rains or the sun is out. Shelter gives you a place to sleep at night so that you don't have to worry about roughing it on deck. Shelter keeps you away from high waves and debris that could cause injury if they were to fall on top of you. The shelter is very important and can help prolong your survival in any situation.

5. Hunt For Food

When lost at sea, having food is vital in increasing the chances of surviving being lost. But then you ask yourself, how does one find food on a boat when stranded at the same time? Small fish often gather beneath the boat, either out of curiosity or because they feel sheltered there if you're in a life raft. 

Fish have been the main source of food for people in many countries for a long time. To catch them at sea, try to use one hand-line with a hook and lure such as anything flashy. Jig the lure up and down below the water's surface, being careful not to snag your life raft with it. 

After catching something edible, gut it or filet it and use its guts as bait to keep fishing.The food at sea is all-natural, such as fish, seahorses, shrimps, crabs, and even squid but they are very difficult to catch without fishing gear.You can use the shadow cast by your boat to attract fish. To catch them, string jewelry into a lure. (Pieces from a smartphone can work too.) Shoelaces or unraveled sock threads can serve as a fishing line. Save any uneaten bits for bait.

6. Look Out For Rescue

Being lost at sea is a nightmare you don't want to have to experience. Being aware of how important rescue is, and how to get rescued will save your life. Rescue can come from someone who knows where you are going, a passing ship in the area, or a helicopter overhead. 

If you see a plane or ship, use your pocket mirror or smartphone screen to reflect the sun's light signal (which is visible as far as 10 miles away on a sunny day).

7. Study the stars around

If you know how to navigate by stars, your chances of surviving at sea increase: you will find the shore or other ships on the ocean. Remember that the Sun rises in the East and sets in the West; use this indication point when starting a route for navigating. Estimate your course and make a drift until you find shore or other sailors. It's difficult to find Polaris - the star close to the celestial pole- even when you know where it is.

However, if you are looking for what we call the Big Dipper or Plough in Ursa Major, then mentally connect those stars at the end of the "bowl" and extend that line out five times its length before arriving at Polaris. It will be easier to spot because it is bright; second only to Arctus, Alpha Ursae Minoris, or The Little Bear in English.

8. Let the Current Take You

In the open ocean, there are not a lot of options regarding controlling where you go. Your best chance of survival relies on the current taking you to land or getting rescued.While you practice the other techniques in this section, simply allow the current to take you where it must. Don’t waste your energy trying to fight it.

Only when you see the shore is within paddling distance should you take the time to paddle ashore. If you see a ship in the distance, you’re more likely to get rescued by signaling it rather than paddling toward the ship. Read on to discover more sea survival tips.

9. Be Prepared

It's important to prepare for the unknown before taking a potentially dangerous trip, including stockpiling emergency gear. Survival skills can be handy in many situations, and you may need equipment such as:

● Recreational items : Things that will help keep you sane and enjoy your time if things turn bad, like books, board games, or comfortable clothing. Hold onto these until it starts turning ugly because otherwise, they'll take up space.

● Necessities : Items that will help keep you living if all else fails for any reason - like water purifying tablets or waterproof matches so hopefully you won't need them!

• Yes, your survival kit is the number one helper in sea survival. Even if you're a pro at surviving afloat with no waves or currents for months on end, it's always nice to have a backup. And while most first-aid kits will be somewhat helpful, all well-prepared seafarers carry a flare gun just in case they get lost at sea and are still within reach of help (assuming that someone has already seen the flare).
• The Lifeboat Association indicates that ships usually average 12 miles per hour when cruising but range from 5 to 18 miles per hour during rescues depending upon conditions and load aboard the ship. You can assess as soon as possible what type of assistance may be available if you deploy your flares downstream from people who can provide

Ocean survival isn't a rare event if you've ever had the unfortunate opportunity to get into it.

So, your knowledge about how to successfully survive an open sea situation may prove to be invaluable in certain situations. Planning what tools and skills you need to increase your chances of making it out alive significantly. Being in a good physical condition can frequently be the difference between life and death, as well as your mental health. The skills you have will also play a major role in this and your ability to problem-solve. When you have an overload of adrenaline or nervousness people tend to panic; however, thinking clearly and listening carefully may save lives.

Everyone has a story of how they were once lost at sea. The stories are often about survival and hope. Learning to survive in the worst possible conditions is an important skill for anyone, whether you’re sailing on your own or just living life day-to-day. 

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World’s largest cruise ship rescues 14 people stranded at sea

F ourteen people clinging to a small boat adrift in the Gulf of Mexico were rescued by the crew of the world's largest cruise ship on Sunday after spending more than a week stranded at sea.

The Icon of the Seas , operated by the Royal Caribbean Group, encountered a small vessel in distress and "immediately launched a rescue operation, safely bringing 14 people on board," the company states.

"The crew provided them with medical attention, and is working closely with the U.S. Coast Guard," Royal Caribbean added.

The cruise ship was only on its first full day of sailing when it spotted the small boat. The cruise began in Miami and was headed towards Honduras when the rescue occurred.

Details about the rescued individuals are still scant. A spokesperson for the U.S. Coast Guard told Newsweek that the rescue occurred outside American waters, in Mexico's area of jurisdiction .

A passenger on board the cruise, Alessandra Amodio, described to Fox Weather and People what she witnessed of the dramatic rescue.

The  Travel + Leisure  photo editor said she heard the ship's crew broadcast "Code Oscar, Code Oscar, Code Oscar," over the loudspeakers around 3 p.m. Sunday. From the windows looking out from the lunch buffet, she and her family could make out a tiny vessel in the distance. The people on board the boat were waving a large white flag.

"We were really surprised and honestly a little freaked out," Amodio said. "We’ve been on a handful of cruises and never seen something like this happen."

The cruise ship turned around to pull up delicately beside the small vessel. This manoeuvre took about two hours, Amodio recalls, as the ship's crew worked to avoid swamping the small boat in the large cruise ship's wake.

The Icon of the Seas then "deployed a small zodiac-type rescue boat to investigate," Amodio said. Zodiac is a brand name known for its inflatable motor boats.

"Eventually we saw Royal Caribbean crew helping about two people from the distressed boat onto the rescue boat before returning to the vessel. They then made a few more trips to safely bring everyone on board," Amodio said.

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"Everyone around us was watching from the windows with us and just talking about how this isn’t something we ever thought to experience, and we hoped everyone on board was OK," she said. "It was crazy to think that these people were stuck at sea for so long, and we were all on board excited and relieved that the ship was able to rescue them."

After the rescue, Amodio said the cruise ship's captain came over the loudspeakers to report the crew had rescued 14 people who had been stranded at sea for eight days.

The rescued people were dropped off in Roatan, Honduras, the day after the rescue, Amodio adds.

"We weren’t told by the captain or crew what happened to them," she said.

The Icon of the Seas is considered the current largest cruise ship in the world .  The 20-deck vessel includes eight “neighbourhoods” to explore and can accommodate 5,610 passengers and 2,350 crew.

The so-called neighbourhoods are designed to cater to every type of vacationer, the company says, with areas for young families and adult-only areas.

Attractions on the ship are meant to mimic various land vacation experiences, with a six-slide waterpark, seven full-size pools, an indoor aquatic theatre and more.

— with files from Global News' Michelle Butterfield

Video: World’s largest cruise ship sets sail from Miami

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Skipper missing at sea: Urgent appeal for information

A charter boat captained by a well-known KZN North Coast skipper has gone missing at sea near the border with Mozambique.

Update on Sunday 17 March at 16:21 CAT:

During an extensive search involving multiple agencies and a fixed wing aircraft the charter fishing ski-boat MAGNUM TOO was located wrecked and extensively burnt out in the vicinity of Dobela on the Mozambique coastline this morning. Law Enforcement agencies response team are on site investigating. There remains no signs of the skipper John Matambu or an as yet unidentified man who reportedly chartered the fishing vessel. Both men remain missing in unknown circumstances. Thoughts are with the family and colleagues of John Matambu in this difficult time.

Original story:

At around 17h00, Saturday, 16 March, NSRI Richards Bay were alerted to concerns of a charter vessel ski boat "MAGNUM TOO" a 21 foot Yeld Cat ski-boat, missing at sea in uncertain circumstances that appear to indicate that foul play may be involved.

NSRI are hopeful that this is not the case.

The ski-boat MAGNUM TOO may have departed Sodwana Bay during the early morning Saturday, 16 March.

NSRI Richards Bay duty crew and NSRI St Lucia duty crew were activated.

A search towards Sodwana Bay and North along the coastline were initiated including a private fixed wing aircraft and as yet there remains no signs of the ski-boat MAGNUM TOO with local competent skipper John Matambu onboard and a male passenger or passengers (uncertain) that we are hoping are well and safe.

A missing persons report has been opened at MBAZWANA Police station.

The SA Police Services Police Sea Borderline Control, Police Search and Rescue, TNPA (Transnet National Ports Authority), Ezemvelo KZN Wild Life, local community security companies, local public members, local resorts and lodges, along that entire stretch of coastline in that area, of Sodwana Bay and North of Sodwana Bay, are assisting to gather information, conduct investigations and conduct search efforts.

MRCC (Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre) are assisting.

It appears that persons, or a person, a male, that have not been identified, may have chartered the ski-boat that was expected to return to Sodwana Bay during Saturday afternoon.

Real concerns are emerging that appear to suggest possible foul play and concerns are for the skippers John Matambu's safety and his passenger/s.

We reiterate we are hopeful that this is not the case.

Fears are - that the ski-boat MAGNUM, that may have been seen to be heading North, past Banga Neck, and may have been pinned in the vicinity of Inhaca (unconfirmed) - may be involved in nefarious circumstances that are rapidly increasing concerns.

At 22h00 a report was received suggesting the ski-boat may have been spotted as far North as Santa Maria across to the Mozambique coastline.

Telkom Maritime Radio Services are broadcasting a marine radio all ships alert for vessels along the Northern Coastline of KZN (Eat Coast - Indian Ocean), and beyond the South African Eastern coastline border, to be on the look out and to report any sightings of ski-boat MAGNUM TOO.

Concerns are rapidly increasing. It is not normal for this well known and respected local skipper to fail to report in and/or to return to Sodwana.

During the night local community and coast watchers are commended for keeping an eye out for any red distress flares or any sighting of the missing ski-boat.

It appears that the individual/s who chartered the boat may have provided false information as to their identity(this is not confirmed and may be a misunderstanding) - after arriving in the Sodwana Bay area, reportedly, on a motor bike. Efforts to locate the charter passenger/s, the skipper John Matambu and ski-boat MAGNUM TOO remain unsolved.

We are appealing to anyone with information that can assist Police in this search to contact Police on 10111 and or NSRI EOC (Emergency Operations Centre) 0870949774 or MRCC 0219383300.

Thoughts with the family of the skipper in this difficult time.

Pictures of the boat, MAGNUM TOO, the skipper John Matambu are posted to NSRI web page and NSRI social media. We are encouraging this toi be shared far and wide and we commend the media's urgent attention to this case.

We are hopeful that the boat, crew and passengers are found safe.

Help us save lives on South African waters.

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‘A strangely singular freedom’: losing and finding myself at sea

After a break-up, disillusioned with work and lonely in London, the writer Susan Smillie found a companion in her small boat, Isean, and together they set off for an adventure of a lifetime

W hat happened? How did I get here, to this wild place? I found myself completely alone and all at sea. It was kind of an accident, somewhat spontaneous. And entirely unavoidable. I jumped off the edge of Britain. Off to follow the birds south. And here I am. Thousands of miles from home. It was an unexpected departure but it had been coming for a while. I’d been caught up in the city for too long. A decade of living and working in London. I’d loved it, my place there, my job – a features editor for the Guardian – friends nearby. It was a life that really suited me… until it no longer did. It wasn’t London that changed, it was me: like trying to squeeze into the wrong-sized shoes – you love them so much, but they don’t fit.

It wasn’t just the city that didn’t fit. My boyfriend and I broke up. After decades of being one half of a couple, at 40, I was suddenly single. Still, I thought, it would be good for me to stand on my own two feet. So I was surprised to find I was lonely. I tried dating apps and quickly despaired of the tick lists and bios, the swiping and empty message exchanges. At best it was a time-consuming chore. Worse than work. Next came a dysfunctional fling that was exciting for about two minutes then miserable for aeons, eroding my self-esteem in the process. That was the loneliest time of all. I tried to fill evenings and weekends, couldn’t bear to be alone without plans. But I went too far, partied too hard, failed to look after myself and unravelled emotionally. I’d wake up feeling anxious or tearful without explanation, there was a prolonged period of sorrow, overwhelming feelings of emptiness. There were many factors at play but I was old enough to recognise my part in this spiral. What do they say about being lonely? Find a hobby. I turned my eyes to the sea; to where my little boat, Isean, was waiting.

We had found her a few years before, my ex and I: a Nicholson 26. A classic sailing yacht, all elegant lines, teased out by boat builders in the 60s. She’s what you’re likely picturing – one mast, two sails. She, like me, was approaching 40. An abandoned shell, her sails stolen, paint flaking. She, too, was empty inside. No matter. Her beauty shone through. She cost a few thousand pounds, and it took thousands more to fit her out. But you don’t grudge spending on family, do you? And now she is kin. After all the work, she was ready to sail. One problem. I wasn’t. It’s not that I couldn’t sail. I was an amateur with a basic qualification, comfortable being crew. But good God, I wasn’t ready to be in charge.

There was a seemingly endless and varied list of things I didn’t know, all crucial for safety. The sails and rigging, lines and knots. Batteries, electrics, gas, solar, plumbing. Tides! The Beaufort scale! I was often apologising to Isean as she got us out of trouble. When a strong gust powered up the sails I was caught between elation and terror. “Oh God, the boat is really tipping!” I imagined her reply. Yes I am meant to heel! How white horses at sea unnerved me. I’d need to get better at gauging how much wind I could handle. Not much, she would observe. How much could Isean handle? Whatever you throw at me. OK, then I’ll catch up.

This seaworthy boat wanted real sailing and so did I. “If you can sail in the Solent,” people said, “you can sail anywhere.” By the summer of 2014, with help, we were there. One of the busiest sailing grounds in the world; good for learning. I grew reasonably competent – avoided crashing into ships or grounding on sandbanks. What gave me confidence was Isean. People would wander over smiling as they took in her lines. “A Nicholson!” they’d exclaim. “She’ll look after you.” I saw it too, in how she cut effortlessly through heavy waves. How this little boat loved big seas. She was so forgiving of all my mistakes. I learned how to handle the helm and trim the sails. The better I got, the better she responded, doing what I expected, going where I hoped. And the better she liked me, the more I liked myself.

Together, we sailed the summer away, meandering and dreaming, heading ever further into the beautiful west. Dorset’s Jurassic skies; the rugged Cornish coast, big blue Atlantic seas crashing white beaches. Off the coast of Devon, friends joined for a sunset sail, and so did a superpod of dolphins. Perhaps thousands, clicking and whistling, breaching and bow riding, beneath the boat, in the air, near and far. I watched, heart swelling, tears falling, as they raced to deep waters in the sinking sun. I was still making my living in the city but the real living – the kind that makes you want to jump out of bed and breathe it all in – was time off with Isean. When I returned to London, the happy part of me was still with her. Just at this point, my employers made a company-wide offer of voluntary redundancy. The realisation hit me at once. This city, this career, this life, no longer held me. I wanted to be with Isean. To be at sea. It was an easy decision to leave my job. Scary, but easy. By late August 2017, Isean and I were perched in Penzance. We’d made it to the very edge of the country. I was planning to round Land’s End, coast hop the UK. But Isean had other ideas. She pointed her bow towards France. Over a couple of stormy weeks, the idea of a bigger journey – a different destiny – formed, quietly at first, then became so irresistible I had no choice but to act. One night at summer’s close, and quite to my own surprise, we sailed away from British shores. We followed the kindly sea, a path lit silver by a waxing crescent moon. Flew south like the migrating swifts. She got her way, and it became my way.

It was easier than I imagined, leaving everything and everyone I knew. It was also a massive leap. Until my 40s I had barely travelled alone. I’d been scared of being lonely, of being unable to communicate or navigate a foreign country. Now I was about to navigate – really navigate – my own way to France, maybe Spain, perhaps even Portugal. I had so recently been frightened to take charge of this little boat. But how adaptable we humans are. It’s about taking the first step, then you find your way. Once I started, my ability – and my trust in it – grew. I found a resourcefulness and resilience I didn’t know I had. If I stopped telling myself I couldn’t do something, I realised, then I could. The decision to go to sea, to choose this life alone, was a measure of how much I’d learned, how much happier I was with my own company. It was a massive vote of confidence in myself.

Just over a day after setting off from Land’s End, there I was, sitting under the sun in the port of Aber Wrac’h, revelling in the matchless pleasure of having travelled to another country under my own steam. I hadn’t gone to an airport, booked a train or exchanged money. I’d simply untied Isean’s lines and set off into the sunset. What a strangely singular freedom. After that, I felt unstoppable. We flew through Brittany’s rites of passage, down the fast-flowing Chenal du Four to Brest, past the rock-encumbered tidal gate that is the Raz de Sein. We crossed the vast Bay of Biscay and made careful progress down Spain’s Costa del Morte – the coast of death – into Portugal. An unexpected winter in the Algarve. In spring, hardly believing it myself, we entered the Mediterranean, sailed along the coast of Africa. Africa!

Friends joined along the way. Some were easier to accommodate than others. One challenge was in collecting them. Most people need certainty before they book a flight and it was hard to predict where I’d be, drifting from country to country. Suzie and Karin visited in Spain, Suzie folding herself origami-style into the damp aft quarter berth (with a lubricating whisky). Karin, meanwhile, turned up with a hairdryer! I had just enough solar power to charge my phone (for communication, navigation and weather), anchor light (for safety) and the luxury of a small speaker (music and podcasts). “What’s all this?” I demanded as she emptied her bag of stuff. “Life!” she replied. Life like I used to know, perhaps, but on an 8m boat there was barely room for the three of us. I had roughly the space of a classic VW campervan. It was camping, really. I didn’t have much comfort. No shower, no fridge. A two-burner stove, sink and toilet. A laptop for watching stuff online, but, instead, I’d fall asleep, book discarded. My attention was held by dreamy panoramas shifting and drifting past my window – ivory beaches, cliffs and castles. A whale spouting in the distance. Insanely clear aquamarine around me.

But even in the most idyllic settings, there were bouts of boredom, periods of loneliness. It sometimes happened if I stopped. I might stare at families splashing in holiday mode and question my purpose. We don’t really want to be on holiday all the time – we’re happier being productive. A day cleaning my engine (with a toothbrush!) or freelance writing restored the balance. I also found balance between company and time alone in quiet bays with the shy creatures that avoid humans in noisy numbers. Mostly, it was just Isean and me, the two of us weathering the extreme conditions that come with life in the wilderness. I liked it that way. Just myself to keep safe from numerous storms and occasional hurricanes.

I’m not usually one of life’s planners. At sea, I changed fast. You’re at the mercy of weather conditions and must be organised. I’d always be thinking ahead, checking forecasts, harbour approaches, predicting tides, observing the waxing and waning of the moon. Extreme storms are an ever-present danger nowadays and they do focus the mind. In 2019, about halfway down Portugal’s coast, we sought shelter from the first category-three hurricane to barrel this side of the Atlantic. Ophelia’s strength reduced over the Azores, but it was wild enough, a sleepless night swerving around in high winds. Soon after, in the Algarve, we clung anxiously to a pier as two tornadoes spun perilously close (thankfully they didn’t veer in our direction). In 2020, in Greece, we rushed from the Ionian islands ahead of cyclone Ianos’s arrival, found safety in Preveza, just outside its orbit. Scores of sunken sailing boats around those islands were less fortunate.

Stressful things, storms. It’s horrible awaiting their arrival: the electricity in the air, the tension, the worry. But humans are adapted for these threats – the fight-or-flight response kicks in. You know what to do in a storm. Seek shelter, batten the hatches, set the anchor… and hope! The stress is alleviated by action. Less harmful, surely, than the pervading anxiety brought by the pressures of modern life – workplace worries that linger in the night. Adrenaline rushing in a meeting where someone belittles you isn’t helpful, is it? But if you must haul 50m of chain to avoid dragging offshore in a gale, it’s quite useful. As scary as they were, I was really living during these storms. Then the weather passes: the calm after the storm. I loved days drifting in a meditative state, practising my own form of mindfulness, staring at the ocean. I made mistakes – so many. It’s great knowing theory but nothing reinforces a lesson like your own error creating a terrifying experience.

Take one sudden squall near Malaga. I sailed on instead of seeking shelter. It overpowered us. In no time Isean was swerving wildly out of control and I was merely clinging on – and screaming. I still shudder at the memory of closely cutting behind a chain ferry, steel cables inches from tearing open our hull. It’s easy to get complacent when you spend every waking and sleeping moment at sea, and that’s when things get dangerous. Sometimes I wonder that I made it all the way to Greece – to Odysseus’s sailing ground, no less – without disaster. But no. Of course I made it. Isean got me here, kept me safe. My trusty little boat. My sanctuary in every storm, my companion in adventure.

I still see our journey, like a film in my mind’s eye, Isean always in the frame. Fairytale pretty, here she is, anchored by snowcapped mountains and castles in Spain. Cruising with big wave surfers in Portugal. Sailing over a lost city in Italy, Roman ruins under the waves. Stromboli! Saffron flames licking an inky sky. Isean and I, infinitesimally small at the foot of the mighty volcano. A silent agreement, made together, to avoid sailing into lava. And here we are. In the land of the gods, on electric-blue seas. Beautiful Greece. I’ve never felt so lucky. I have to keep reminding myself that this is my life now. There will be no phone call to drag me back to an office, no emails or work meetings to take me away from this, the happiest “place” I’ve ever found. I’m no longer thousands of miles from home. My idea of home has changed. Home is not a place, it is a feeling. Wherever Isean is; that is home. My home is with her.

The Half Bird (Penguin Michael Joseph, £16.99) by Susan Smillie is out on 21 March. Preorder it for £14.95 at guardianbookshop.com

An extract from The Half Bird

Ahead, dark cumulonimbus clouds were piling up over the Montes de Málaga, Andalucía’s stunning mountain range. I stared in awe, appreciating the unreal light as tall black clouds bowled dramatically towards us. The first thing I thought to do was take a picture. The second thought, following closely behind – reef! I should reduce my sails. Too late. The storm hit us, a squall as sudden as it was furious.

The noise! Gusts screeched like the getaway car on a bank heist. Thunder rumbled and lightning cracked. The sea was black, reflecting an incandescent sky, and torrential rain swept sideways across the surface of the water. I could no longer see the coast; the whole scene looked and sounded disconcertingly like mid-ocean. You don’t have a lot of time to think in this situation, but you have plenty of time to feel. One feeling dominated. Terror.

Wind powered up the sails and we sped off. The dinghy, trailing behind, flipped and its floor flew into the distance. I was in complete panic and Isean seemed equally frightened, like a wild thing, out of control and swerving crazily. We were tipped on our side, the left gunwale underwater, waves washing over the side. In no time, without a life jacket or safety harness, I was merely clinging on.

When things go badly wrong on a boat, you want to hide but you have to act. No one else can help you. You overcome fear because the alternative is worse, and you find a physical strength fuelled by adrenaline and desperation. Isean powered up to the wind as I fought to steer off and furl in her foresail, inch by inch, desperate to take the power out. But the line jammed. I was aghast. Now I had to get to the bow. Our world was upside down, the starboard deck high in the air. I crawled along it, whipped painfully by a merciless wind that lashed me with stinging wet ropes. It was chaos, sails flapping, ropes flying. Inside, I would discover, was worse: a formless pile of food and oil, equipment and clothes, solids and liquids intermingled, all atoms fighting for space. Eventually, arms aching, hands throbbing in pain, I wrestled both sails away, felt the boat even out and we turned downwind. The gusts screeched from behind, still heart-poundingly strong, but I was back in control. I got the engine on and motored out to sea for space. There was plenty. We were totally alone. No one else was stupid enough to be out there. Heading away from the comfort of land in a storm is without a doubt the loneliest feeling in the world. All you want is a safe harbour, other boats, other people, but what you need is sea space. As quickly as it had come, the squall passed. I apologised to Isean and started to cry.

I felt extremely stupid and utterly alone. I had no right to be out here, putting myself and my boat in such danger. It was completely irresponsible. I’d been lucky. Isean’s substantial weight and stability had kept us safe. But, even in those moments of shock and remorse, I knew I would recover myself. My mistake had been so obvious, the consequences so terrifying, I wouldn’t repeat it. It was another learning experience. I’d be off again first thing in the morning, but now it was time to stop. I sniffed pathetically all the way back to Fuengirola.

An hour later, feeling very sorry for myself, we limped into the little port and dropped anchor in a flat-calm sea. People strolled the promenade with ice-creams and sunbathed on loungers. The sun shone as if nothing had happened, mocking me. Still trembling an hour later, I went to bed with a cup of tea and a massive bar of chocolate. My second day in the Med and a perfect introduction to conditions there.

Extracted from The Half Bird by Susan Smillie

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As fears of war brew, China and Taiwan are still joining forces to rescue lost fishermen, Taipei says

• Taiwan and China authorities are still working together on at least one front: coast guard rescue.
• Taiwan's coast guard has helped China with 17 rescues in the last three years, the agency's chief said.
• Both coast guards launched a joint operation to search for Chinese fishermen on Thursday.

Taiwan's coast guard has run more than a dozen joint rescue operations with China in the last three years, the agency's chief said on Thursday — marking a rare area of cooperation between both governments amid mounting tensions.

Chou Mei-wu, the director-general of Taiwan's coast guard, made the comment in parliament on the same day that his agency announced one such joint effort.

Taiwan's coast guard said it's working with Chinese authorities to rescue crew from a Chinese fishing boat that capsized early Thursday morning near the Kinmen Islands.

The boat was carrying six crew, two of whom were found dead while another two were rescued, Taiwan's coast guard said.

Taiwan dispatched four vessels and China sent six to search for the remaining pair, per the agency.

"In the last three years, we had 17 such cases where they asked us for support, and we rescued 119 people," Chou told legislators.

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The joint rescue comes as Beijing's posture toward Taiwan — which it says falls under China's jurisdiction — grows increasingly hostile. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has vowed that reunification is "inevitable," and hasn't ruled out using force to take the self-governed island.

Taiwan in January re-elected the Democratic Progressive Party, which aims to resist Beijing, indicating growing island-wide resentment toward absorption by the mainland.

Despite the tensions, China remains one of Taiwan's most important trade partners, with Taiwanese investments in the mainland totaling $203 billion in the last two decades . But cross-strait investments have fallen to 20-year lows as the threat of war looms and US-China tech disputes rise.

Indeed, Chou revealed the statistics on coast guard cooperation at a four-hour parliamentary hearing discussing the Chinese Communist Party's "normalized intrusion and threats" to Taiwan.

Meanwhile, some on Chinese social media treated the recent joint effort as a sign of Taiwan becoming more subservient to mainland rule. Yet many also expressed unhappiness that the incident was portrayed as Taiwan helping China, and therefore taking the lead.

In February, tensions flared again when a Chinese fishing boat carrying four people capsized in the Taiwan Strait while being pursued by Taiwan's coast guard.

Two of those on board died, while Taiwan temporarily detained the other two.

Taiwan's coast guard said the boat lost balance on a sharp turn. However, China has accused Taipei of lying after one of the fishermen claimed to state media that the coast guard rammed his vessel.

Watch: China shows how it would attack Taiwan as tensions rise

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