41–50 of 126 posts
For full disclosure he's a friend of mine, but the book is a gripping read.
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.
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.
Divers' suits are not dry. There's water between the skin and the suit. Actually that warmed water layer is what isolates the body against the cold outside.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I find it near impossible, mostly due to waves that push water into your eyes and mouth!
You can also float in seawater in the fetal position. Your head will be below water but it is easy to come up for air periodically.
Easy to periodically come up, like, every 30 seconds? 3240 times in a row?
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.
drysuit given that he's a diver Divers' suits are not dry. There's water between the skin and the suit. Actually that warmed water layer is what isolates the body against the cold outside.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
I find it near impossible, mostly due to waves that push water into your eyes and mouth!
You can also float in seawater in the fetal position. Your head will be below water but it is easy to come up for air periodically.
Very surprised that such an experienced diver would make such an incredibly dangerous decision. Or that his dive buddy would agree to it.
Possibly a decision based on over-confidence.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
drysuit given that he's a diver Divers' suits are not dry. There's water between the skin and the suit. Actually that warmed water layer is what isolates the body against the cold outside.
No that's wetsuits. Dry suits don't let water in.
Prolonged soaking in seawater, along with the friction from his wetsuit and fins, damaged Hewitt’s skin pretty badly.
"Hewitt was an experienced navy diving instructor with 20 years in the service, and he told his dive buddy that he would swim back to shore himself" Very surprised that such an experienced diver would make such an incredibly dangerous decision. Or that his dive buddy would agree to it. Possibly a decision based on over-confidence.