On November 23, 1942, German submarine U-172 sank the British cargo ship SS Benlomond. Steward Poon Lim was left alone on a wooden life raft in the South Atlantic.
The raft was 8 feet (2.4 meters) long, a little longer than a person is tall. Food and fresh water were aboard, but not enough for the whole ordeal.
After about 55 days, the food ran out.
Fifteen days later, so did the water.
How did he keep from falling overboard?
Poon Lim could not swim well. He often tied a rope from his wrist to the raft.
With another rope he marked time, tying one knot for each day. Later he stopped counting days and tracked full moons instead.
A change in the water told him land was close. The sea was no longer deep ocean blue.
On April 5, 1943, Brazilian fishermen found him off Brazil. He was too weak to stand without support.
He had survived a record 133 days alone on a raft.
They did not believe him at first. He showed the knotted rope, and doubt fell into silence.
Poon Lim set a survival record.
He hoped no one would have to break it.
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