Men spent 9 months adrift in the Pacific...

[GhaleonOne]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060825/wl_ ... shermen_dc

That's some hella crazy survivor skills.

[phyco126]

Yeah, read that a while back, but there are conflicting reports with that one. Still, it's good to hear of someone/s adrift at sea being smart enough to actually catch fish and eat them to prevent starvation and possible cannabolism.

[GhaleonOne]

The fact that they drifted 5000 miles is insane though. That's a LONG ways away. That's around almost 20 miles a day in one direction. It's a wonder a storm didn't destroy the boat.

[Scorpioeyez]

I respect it because I wouldn't have been able to do it. I would've died.

[LuNaRtIc]

I would've died too. X__x That's insane! They say part of being able to survive when you're in a situation like that though is to have a strong will to live and believe that you'll make it out okay. Apparently there was a man who was shipwrecked in Lake Superior during the winter. He was in the water for three days before being rescued and believes he survived because he was so determined to live and kept his determination. I don't know, but if I were in either of these situations, I wouldn't have such a strong resolve.

[SpaceFlare]

I would've died in a number of days. My survival skills are pretty much below average. Amazing they were able to stay alive that long though

[Kizyr]

Hm, I'd mean to live. I can admire their resolve, and if I were in their same situation, that's what I'd aspire to be able to do. Whether or not I'd be able to make it is another story, but I wouldn't give up.

The one thing is that it's a lot harder for me to adapt to the cold than the heat. If it weren't in a semi-tropical to tropical area, then I would probably be screwed. KF

[AbsoluteAlex]

Youd be surprised what you can do if youre in the situation. My school was a little different that everyone else's, i had to take survival classes and all. Ive been on ships everywhere from the atlantic to the pacific, indian ocean, mediterranean, south china sea, etc. I dont know what sort of gear these gentlemen had for survival, but most boats will have survival packs stuffed with all kinds of great stuff from lights to emergency beacons able to picked up from satellite, to transponders able to be picked up by ships radars to unique little survival meals. I know they were on a relatively small vessel going coastwise, but chances are they had some sort of emergency gear at least to start out. These survival meals look like candy bars, but are like 4000 calorie bars, which are ideal for survival situations.

Im sure that a boat this small didnt carry the transponders or beacons, becasue they would have been picked up in a matter of days, but they probably had at least something to start off. Its still a rather impressive display of personal survival.

Kiz wrote:
The one thing is that it's a lot harder for me to adapt to the cold than the heat. If it weren't in a semi-tropical to tropical area, then I would probably be screwed

More than you know dude, your body transfers way more heat when you are immersed in the water than if you are out of it. Theres something called the rule of 50s, in water below 50 degrees F, you have a 50% chance of survival for 50 minutes. If you can keep yourself out of the water somehow, your chances dramatically increase.

[Kizyr]

More than you know dude, your body transfers way more heat when you are immersed in the water than if you are out of it. Theres something called the rule of 50s, in water below 50 degrees F, you have a 50% chance of survival for 50 minutes. If you can keep yourself out of the water somehow, your chances dramatically increase.

I'm talking air-temperatures in this case. I've been diving quite a few times, so I know that 50-degree water feels like it's freezing--and 70-degree water even feels chilly. I'll be remembering that 50s rule, though. But I have a feeling that my chance of survival like that might be even lower; I have a compact frame, but little fat and muscle mass, so I'm not very suited to retaining heat. KF

[phyco126]

The only issue I would have if I ever had to surivive out in the wild or the ocean, is eating insects, worms, and raw meat. Ew.

[AbsoluteAlex]

When youre out for a while and you havent eaten anything, youre tastebuds go numb and your body is just glad it has something in it. Believe me if you were out and you were starving, you might be like yuck thats gross in the first few days, but after a while, it probably is going to look pretty tasty.

[Faust]

When youre out for a while and you havent eaten anything, youre tastebuds go numb and your body is just glad it has something in it. Believe me if you were out and you were starving, you might be like yuck thats gross in the first few days, but after a while, it probably is going to look pretty tasty.

Agreeing on this one...Personally I would died from sea sickness first rather than hunger...Good grief nine months...

About eating insects and worms hmmm...I read some where that if you are forced to eat these morsels, it would be wise to swallow them whole, instead of biting or chewing which would then spill the contents...Which is pretty much an aquired taste...*Gulp* Yummy?

[Mog Dragonheart]

I'd resort to cannibalism on the first day if I was stranded with a survivor. Puhehehe. I seriously want to know what human taste like.

[Sonic#]

Yes Mog, and then they find you two days later, bloated, with all the food rations still there and no one else.

But I have a feeling that my chance of survival like that might be even lower; I have a compact frame, but little fat and muscle mass, so I'm not very suited to retaining heat. KF

I'm pretty much in the same position. Well, nearly. I'm actually a heat generator when I'm well-fed, but any long-term exposure to the cold, and any amount of time where I don't consume food... my low amounts of fat really would work against me.

My main concern, as far as an event like that, would be psychological vigor. Physically, I suppose I'd be durable enough for my environment (or not) to survive for a while, but the isolation, dehydration, starvation, illness, exhaustion, hypothermia, heat stroke... all these potentials and realities wearing a person down... there's no real way to know how many scars I'd have after being rescued, if I was.