Lessons from History

Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing.

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The Incredible Journey of a Man Who Survived 438 Days Lost at Sea

6 min readSep 19, 2022

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An image of a lone boat in the water — Photo by Clay Banks on Unsplash

Imagine floating on a small raft where you see nothing but an endless ocean. You have no food, no water and no companions. Just yourself.

Time seems to pass impossibly slowly and at times, you feel you’re on the verge of madness.

Some wouldn’t last days in these conditions, others might hold out for a few weeks at the most. But for one man, in particular, that ordeal lasted for well over a year.

He somehow managed to survive at sea for 438 days!

How did he do it, and why did he not succumb to starvation, dehydration or madness?

He was the first person in recorded history to have survived in a small boat lost at sea for more than a year, and this is his story.

A Fishing Trip Gone Wrong

On 17 November 2012, a young fisherman named Alvarenga set out from his village off the coast of Mexico. He was an experienced sailor and used to long voyages where he would frequently catch sharks, sailfish and other large fish.

But on that day, his trip started out a little differently. His usual fishing companion…

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Lessons from History
Lessons from History

Published in Lessons from History

Lessons from History is a platform for writers who share ideas and inspirational stories from world history. The objective is to promote history on Medium and demonstrate the value of historical writing.

Sajjad Choudhury
Sajjad Choudhury

Written by Sajjad Choudhury

Product Operations Lead @ Onfido | I create relationship wellbeing content, digital products and run an IG page. Check it out - https://linktr.ee/saish_coaching

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