Live data from Hacker News

Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

outsideonline.com

31–40 of 126 posts

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#31
post #3

OK 75 is a lot, but for an almost as harrowing first person account, listen to the interview with Brett Archibald about surviving 28 hours after falling off a cruise ship: http://www.modernmann.co.uk/new/2017/10/24/61-lost-at-sea

Not quite a cruise ship, more like a 10 passenger boat.

I wonder what would happen if one actually fell off a large cruise ship.

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#32
post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Have you ever tried that in the open ocean? It's quite different from a pool, or a river. -Spent over 120 days in the open ocean aboard a 25ft boat. I have. I find it distinctively easier than pools, lakes and rivers. The commenter is right, it doesn’t take much energy, comparatively speaking. - Just a guy who has floated on water.

I find it near impossible, mostly due to waves that push water into your eyes and mouth!

Most big waves are only close to the beach when water breaks over the sand

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#33
post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How did he combat hypothermia?

In the Philippines?

Hypothermia starts at relatively high temperature (naked, below 25°c if I remember well) There are records of people dying after hours of being exposed to 14°c without proper clothing (actually in the Philippine, if memory serves me well) Our body (without technology like clothing or homes) are really just adapted to live around the equator at constant 27°c :-)

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#34
post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe even more amazing is that Courtney Dauwalter ran the Moab 240 ultra marathon (240 miles) non-stop in 2.5 days.

Non-stop in the sense that there aren't any staged pauses, but she undoubtedly stopped to sleep at some point. What really blew my mind is that she finished 10 hours ahead of the next competitor.

Rest sure, but sleep isn't usually employed much in endurance events. In RAAM (bike from west coast US to east coast) winners sleep maybe 10 to 20 hours over the whole race which lasts 10 days.

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In the Philippines?

Hypothermia starts at relatively high temperature (naked, below 25°c if I remember well) There are records of people dying after hours of being exposed to 14°c without proper clothing (actually in the Philippine, if memory serves me well) Our body (without technology like clothing or homes) are really just adapted to live around the equator at constant 27°c :-)

The Ph. are just off the equator. I’ve been in the water in northern Australia and the water was 30c and on the verge of being too warm. Definitely not refreshing, felt like a salty bath tub.

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#36
post #13

An Australian on a surf trip a few years ago fell off a boat in the Mentawais and survived 27 hours with no flotation help. 75 hours in cold water is crazy, but the diver didn't have to keep himself afloat. I find it almost unbelievable that it's possible to swim and tread water -- even in warm salt water -- for 27 hours. https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/12/alone-lost-overb... https://stabmag.com/news/missing…

If you're interested in this topic, watch this film based on a true story about an Icelander who survived at sea https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deep_(2012_film)

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#38

5mm wetsuit (or more likely drysuit given that he's a diver) saved his life far more than anything else. That's some serious insulation, though barely enough over such a long period of time. The article doesn't go into much detail in terms of the psychological aspects of the ordeal -- your life flashing before your eyes for days, can't imagine.

Why would it be barely enough?

I'm not being snarky, asking because I used to surf and wearing a wetsuit would seriously make me warm, to the point where surfing on 10C would require me to unzip the wetsuit every half an hour to make me comfortable.

After my body warmed up the water inside the suit I didn't feel at all the cold of the water except on my feet/head, like I mentioned, I actually felt overheating after a while.

With that said I never calculated or researched how well do these wetsuits insulate for a prolonged period in water, have any data on that?

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it near impossible, mostly due to waves that push water into your eyes and mouth!

Most big waves are only close to the beach when water breaks over the sand

After watching the talisker atlantic challenge for the last month I think you're wrong. Or is the pacific much quieter than the atlantic?

Re: Surviving 75 hours alone in the ocean

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I find it near impossible, mostly due to waves that push water into your eyes and mouth!

Most big waves are only close to the beach when water breaks over the sand

Can't reply to child asking about the pacific so here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AHrCI9eSJGQ

That whole 30 days is calm.

Post reply on HN