The Man Who Survived 76 Days Stranded in the Atlantic Ocean
The fascinating story of Steven Callahan’s 76-day journey in the Atlantic Ocean.
We love a good beating-of-the-odds story, where our protagonist is able to triumph despite the overwhelming likelihood of their defeat. An abysmal situation can be overcome through cunning, quick thinking, and just a little bit of luck. Our obsession with these stories is compounded when they are real. Perhaps we love them so much because they represent the best human qualities: resilience, courage, intelligence, and hope.
From movies based on true stories such as 127 Hours and Unbroken to fictional tales such as Castaway and The Life of Pi, humanity’s love of survival stories manifests itself in our entertainment. However, survival stories are harrowing yet enlightening experiences for those that actually lived them.
Today, we’ll look at Steven Callahan’s incredible 76-day solitary journey in the Atlantic Ocean. We only have a few characters in this tale: Callahan, his trusty life-raft, and the Ocean. He even wrote a book about his experience. Named Adrift: Seventy-Six Days Lost at Sea, it recounts Callahan’s misadventure in riveting detail.
