I feel that together, you and I have truly and intellectually explored the subjects of serial killers and long term kidnapping. And both of those gripping topics still hold my immense interest. But perhaps genetics* is pulling me towards a new independent research project: stranded at sea stories.
Blame Vanity Fair.
In the most recent issue (the one with Cher on the cover), there is a terrific and lengthy excerpt from a book about three men stranded on a life raft in the Pacific during World War II. You should read it HERE. Then, because Vanity Fair is civilization’s greatest triumph, there are suggested related stories one can find online, which is how I ended up reading an article from May of 2000 about the 19th century whaling ship, Essex, a tragedy upon which Moby Dick was loosely based. You can read that one HERE.
(That should get you to 3pm, PST. And let’s just ignore the fact that the Vanity Fair archive site has amazing suggested articles all the time, like Leno vs. Letterman, October 1996 and Online Sexual Predators, December 2009.)
Back to floating adrift. Like any interested reader, I’ve got to wonder what I would do, how I would react. In both of the cases I mentioned above, survivors of the initial incident (one a plane crash, the other a whale attack) frantically crawled into life rafts to figure out the best course of action, only to rock back and forth, facing the elements, sharks and each other for months. Literal months.
So far, here’s what I can glean:
1. Grab as much shit from the sinking piece of crap that landed you in this mess as possible.
2. Figure out a solid way to get rainwater ASAP.
3. Use something as a hat, both as shade, and so birds land on it. The kill the birds to use as bait for fish.
4. Find ways to keep your mind and the minds of your fellow survivors sharp. Tell stories, ask trivia questions, etc. (Also, fun!)
5. Punch sharks in the nose. (Old news, sure, but apparently this is sure fire.)
6. Aim for the closest land, even if you think cannibals live there.
7. It’s always okay to eat the dead. (See Donner Party, the most interesting survival story in American history.)
What I now need are the names of interesting stranded at sea tales, and links if you have them. Never have I found such an amazing source of creepy stories I’d never heard of than from commenters to this very blog. Without you people, I’d never know about the Wichita Massacre, Dear Zachary or the Taman Shud Man. So let's get on this, people...
*My whole life, I’ve rolled my eyes at my father’s devoting an entire bookcase to obscure Sea Disaster books. My eyes roll no more.
12 comments:
The one that comes immediately to mind is Damon "Rocky" Gause's pacific island escape during WWII. After weeks in the jungle alone, he stole a boat and navigated all the way to Australia. Less of adventure at sea and more of escape from the enemy so I don't know if it qualifies.
Umm, I'm surprised by no mention of this amazing story from a few days ago. Blame it on the tryptophan?
"adrift" by Steven Callahan is the true story of the longest time (76 days) any one has ever survived adrift in a life raft. it's the story all the gruesome details in "Life of Pi" are based on.
and of course "endurance" about ernest shacketon
and while you're at it, pick up "The Long Walk" by Slamovir Rawicz -- more lost on land than lost at sea, but utterly riveting!!!
@Seana: Any relation?
@Wilson: I know! I'm behind on the kids.
@gregory.dicum: Oh, I love Shackleton! Particularly the 2-disc made-for-TV movie starring Kenneth Brannah (who declined to be knighted, appallingly enough) and featuring Brice from Muriel's Wedding as the adorable photographer. Nice call.
He's my husband's father's second cousin twice removed or something, so not REALLY, but you know, we share a name.
Your use of the words genetic & serial killer reminded me of an article I've been wanting to send you for ages, serial killer related & fascinating! A neuroscientist's study of the brains of psychopaths: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127888976
You would probably enjoy the book In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the USS Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors
The USS Indianapolis was torpedoed by the Japanese during WWII, and is referenced in the movie Jaws. Of the 1,196 men onboard, only about 316 survived the sinking and the subsequent wait for rescue. The men were adrift for 5 days, had few life rafts and faced “exposure to the elements (hypothermia, dehydration, hypernatremia, photophobia, starvation and dementia), severe desquamation, and shark attacks, while some of the men killed themselves and/or one another in various states of delirium and hallucinations”
here’s the wikipedia page
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Indianapolis_(CA-35)
Beth, I think you'll enjoy reading about the English criminal case Regina v. Dudley and Stephens, involving cannibalism at sea:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R_v_Dudley_and_Stephens
I vote for the gentleman from the great state of California, Olympian, WWII Hero... Louie Zamperini.
Laura Hillenbrand has a new book out about Louie, named "Unbroken".
Good Xmas present for your dad.
info. from www.louiezamperini.com
Biography
Many people thought Louis Zamperini would not live long beyond his formative years, and on many occasions they were almost right. As a child of immigrants, Zamperini was often in trouble with the authorities, until a police officer suggested that Louis use his fleet feet for sport instead of mischief.
Olympian at Hitler’s Berlin Olympic Games
By the end of High School, Louis had become a world class runner, setting a world high school record in the mile. He qualified to run on the 1936 Olympic team by tying the world record holder in the 5000 meter run. At the Games in Berlin, he was America’s top finisher in the event, covering the final lap in an astounding 56 seconds.
Following the Games, he enrolled and competed for the University of Southern California (USC) as a part of many national record breaking teams. Many claim Zamperini would have broken the four-minute mile had he not elected to retire from the sport and join the U.S. Air Corps as a bombardier in the South Pacific during World War II.
Crashed at Sea and Drifted for 47 Days
On a routine reconnaissance run, his aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean, and Louis and another crew member survived in a life raft for 47 days, drifting 2000 miles, into Japanese controlled waters. His rescuers were also his torturers, as the Japanese put Louis into a series of prison camps. One particular guard wanted to make an example of the eternally optimistic Olympic runner, and for two years the guard tried to break Louis’ spirit with verbal and physical cruelty.
Louis outlasted the guard, and when the war ended, Louis returned to Torrance, California to a hero’s welcome. He partied with celebrities and married a debutante, but his life was spinning out of control due to a lack of direction. Later, he decided to become a missionary to Japan preaching the gospel of forgiveness to the very guards who had tormented him during the war. His book, “Devil at My Heels” was an astounding record of Louis’ life. Upon his return to the States, Louis created the Victory Boys Camp for wayward youth, where he taught other juvenile delinquents the skills to succeed in life, while he and his wife, Cynthia, raised two children of their own.
Honored and His Story Told
In 1998, the Olympic Winter Games were held in Nagano, Japan, just outside the town where Louis had been held captive. The people of Nagano asked Louis to carry the Olympic flame as part of the torch relay, and the host broadcaster (CBS) created a 45-minute feature about Louis’ life, that aired during the telecast of the Closing Ceremony.
This story and the accompanying interview reignited interest in Louis’ life, eventually leading Laura Hillenbrand (the Pulitzer Prize winning author of “Seabiscuit”) to document Louis’ life in her latest book, “Unbroken” (Simon & Schuster, 2010).
Still Going Strong…
Today, at 93 years of age, Louis is still spry and full of life.
@Torr: Ooooohhhhh. PERFECT.
@Steve: That's the first Vanity Fair article! What an interesting story, and so cool to know that Louie's still knocking around. I wonder how he feels about boats...
Bethy,
You should watch Animal Planet's "I Shouldn't Be Alive" series. Talk about some crazy shit! They are stories of folks who (wait........) SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE because they either:
1. did some dumb shit to put themselves in danger
2. had something happen beyond their control that put them in danger
3. were to stupid to know they were putting thmeselves in danger
4. someone that was with them was either too stupid or careless and put them in danger
The tales they tell are crazy, like the one where a dad and little girl go into the outback to camp and dad takes a wrong turn and almost ends up killing his daughter in the process.
Or the one where a hiker ends up stranded on a mountainside and sees rescue helicopters fly by and then realizes they are looking for him on his intended route but he fucked up and deviated from thhat route and realizes he is going to die unless he gets off this tired, stranded ass and starts hiking to safety.
My kids are hooked on that show. Yesterday they even said they liked it more than Glee, and they are die hard Gleeks. I personally don't care for Glee, but that is for another post.
The Donner Party had to be the biggest sack of tards since they started bagging tards to go West.
I'm far more fascinated by the Gimli Glider which goes to show that when people hork up metric/Imperial conversions, your commercial jetliner might just still be able to glide for 55 miles with no engines and land safely http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gimli_Glider
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