On this day, three Brazilian fishermen rescued the shipwrecked Chinese sailor, Poon Lim, who had been adrift on a wooden raft for 133 days. Lim was a waiter on the cargo ship Benlomond, en route from Suez to New York, when the German submarine U-172 sank it with two torpedoes on 23rd November 1942. Lim survived the attack and after two hours in the water, found and boarded a drifting life raft that was stocked with food and water. The food and water kept him alive at first, but he soon had to resort to fishing, catching seabirds, and collecting rainwater in a canvas life jacket covering. When Lim was finally rescued, he had lost 9 kg in weight and was so weak that his rescuers had to lift him off his raft. He was later awarded the British Empire Medal by King George VI for displaying “exceptional courage, fortitude and resource.”
Wow, a great way to lose weight! I had never thought of anything like that.
I’ve got a wooden raft I can lend you if you’re interested, Paolo.
Really? I’m really interested, Tony! How big is the galley? Is there a freezer? Is the oven electric or gas?
Well, there’s no galley (not enough space), the freezer is from about midnight to 6.00 in the morning and the oven is from midday to about 5.00 in the afternoon. You’re free to drift for as long as you like.
There’s something that doesn’t convince me. I have to think about it…
If I were you, I would just keep thinking for as long as you can.
Still thinking, Tony, thank you for the advice.
Any time, Paolo.