This month – we consider “438 Days: An Extraordinary True Story of Survival at Sea “

On November 17, 2012, two men left the coast of Mexico for commercial fishing trip in the open Pacific. Though, in this part of the world, commercial fishing is done in small boats with an old upturned fridge as cold storage.

That night, a violent storm ambushed them as they were fishing eighty miles offshore. As gale force winds and ten-foot waves pummeled their small, open boat from all sides and nearly capsized them, captain Salvador Alvarenga and his crewmate cut away a two-mile-long fishing line and began a desperate dash through crashing waves as they sought the safety of port.

Fourteen months later, on January 30, 2014, Alvarenga washed ashore on a nearly deserted island on the far side of the Pacific. He could barely speak and was unable to walk. His crewmate had died.  He claimed to have drifted from Mexico, a journey of some seven thousand miles.   He was far removed from society and the story accounts for his difficulties in human contact for the first time in 1 . 2 years.

The research for the book included hours of interviews with Alvarenga’s fellow commercial fishermen (he had worked with before his ordeal), search-and-rescue officials, the remote islanders who found him, and the medical team that treated him.  438 Days is an absorbing story.   It is the longest documented story of survival at sea.   The book managed to give flavor to the soul wrenching situation of drifting (not paddling, sailing or rowing – “drifting”) for well over a year.   It also tries to detail the Alvarenga’s ingenuity, experience, and determination.

It is a recommended read for anyone who studies resilience.

I recommend.

Let me know if you have any suggested reads!   Have you read On 483 Days?  Post your thoughts below!