Survival in Torres Strait

[seatime]

Don't you think the survival and rescue of John Tabo and family in the Torres Strait the greatest human endeavour story of recent times.
The Channel 7 Sunrise program wasn't a live feed.
23 days at sea in an open boat. I'd love to talk to them to hear how they got themselves through the ordeal.

[hogesTS]

Yeah i heard about a while ago, was up on TI when it happened, and my gf works with a lady that knew the people missing. Basically they were going from Yorke Is to Boigu (or Badu, cant remember) and didnt make it, not sure how or why, probably ran out of fuel or something and drifted for 3 weeks surviving on raw squid and oysters and drinking rain water (lucky the wet has stuck around for longer this year). One of the guys tried to call his wife on his mobile phone 6 times, but didnt have any credit, so when his wife answered there was noone there and she thought it was a prank caller. eventually she recognised the number and called him i think.
Cant help but think this whole thing would have been averted if they had even basic saftey equipment like a radio or flares on board. as is so often the case with the dinghies they get around in up there (they call em TI commodores lol) travelling huge distances to the outer islands often with 5 or 6 people including babies in them its a wonder more people dont go missing or worse.

[ozrick]

i just checked my guinness world record book.......in 1942 there was a guy that spent 133 days at sea on a raft after his ship the SS Ben Lomond was torpedoed...he was rescued by a brazilian fishing boat and was able to walk ashore

[TinarooTriumph]

Its a bloody miracle. 23 days at Sea is a very, very very long time.

TinarooTriumph 8-)