Shipwrecked man makes land 'after 16 months adrift'

Khannie

True story.

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

Source.

wolfeye

More on the story with photos of the guy from El Salvador.
He looks well for a guy adrift on the ocean for over a year in a 24 ft boat eating raw sea gulls/fish and drinking turtle blood and his own urine.

If he writes a book it will be a good read.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2550720/WORLD-EXCLUSIVE-First-picture-Mexican-shark-fisherman-survived-13-MONTHS-adrift-Pacific-catching-turtles-birds-bare-hands.html

Pat Mustard

The Irish Examiner reports disbelief at the man's story, from some quarters:

Gee Bing, the acting secretary of foreign affairs for the Marshall Islands, said he was somewhat sceptical of Alvarenga’s account after meeting with him yesterday.

However, the Irish Examiner article refers to another survival at sea story:

There have been other cases of people surviving for months adrift in the Pacific. In a case with similarities, three Mexican shark fishermen in 2006 said they were lost at sea for nine months before being rescued near the Marshall Islands. In 1989, four men survived nearly four months in the Pacific Ocean near New Zealand after their multi-hulled boat capsized.

I had certain doubts about Alvarenga's story myself, thinking that few birds would venture so far from land, making it very difficult to catch one. However, there seemed to be corroborating evidence in the man's boat:
From The Guardian:

...Ola Fjestad... described the castaway's boat as "grown over with shells and other sea animals. It had a live baby bird, a dead turtle, some turtle shells and fish leftovers inside".

I had heard of albatrosses covering huge distances across oceans, but I had thought that most sea birds would not venture so far.

It will be interesting to hear the full story.

Cork boy 55

I wonder did he kill and eat the teenager he was with ?

thehippychippy

Now that's a good story!

wolfeye

It's the custom of the sea.
I wonder did they draw lots.

The Glass Key

I'll wait for the Film to find out the truth of the story Perhaps Justin Bieber could play the teenager

wolfeye

He's arrived home.

Cameras flashed, people cheered and crowds thronged to hear tales of derring-do – but Jose Salvador Alvarenga, pictured, the Pacific castaway, simply mumbled and put his head in his hands.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/ailing-castaway-receives-homecoming-fit-for-a-hero-30005410.html

wolfeye

Scientists in Hawaii have published new research into ocean currents, which leads them to believe that his story could actually be true.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/castaways-unbelievable-tale-of-survival-is-backed-up-by-science-30015483.html

wolfeye

Jose salvador Alvarenga is to hold a press conference today to reveal results of tests which he claims prove his story is genuine.


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2596364/EXCLUSIVE-Castaway-survived-13-months-adrift-Pacific-Ocean-lie-detector-medical-test-proof-not-fake.html

ozmo

You can play with such a model yourself:

Looks like Dubliners would end up in the Artic somewhere brrrr.

https://developers.arcgis.com/flex/sample-code/message-in-a-bottle.htm


and a javascript version for those without flash
(click on "view live sample" on this page)
https://developers.arcgis.com/javascript/jssamples/gp_bottle.html




Description
This sample uses a particle tracking model to show where a bottle would go after a specified number of days if you dropped it in the ocean. First, enter a number of days to track the bottle. Then click the button and draw a point somewhere in the ocean to start the model. In a few seconds you'll see a line appear depicting where the bottle would go.