The Man that Survived 133 Days Adrift in the Atlantic

The idea that anyone could be stranded in the ocean for over four months is one of the most terrifying experiences we can imagine. On top of lacking food and drinking water, you’re surrounded by the dangers of the ocean, including predators like sharks. This is precisely what happened to Poon Lim, a Chinese seafarer who spent 133 days alone in the South Atlantic. 

A Chinese sailor on the British merchant ship SS Benlomond, Poon Lim, was born in March 1918. A Second Mess Steward, most of the officers on the ship were British, and the main crew was mostly of Chinese descent. While the ship had some defensive capabilities, it was unescorted as it navigated the Atlantic Ocean.

On November 23rd, 1942, the German submarine U-172 intercepted and attacked the Benlomond with two torpedoes. Around 250 miles off the coast of Brazil, Lim was in his cabin when the boat was attacked. The Benlomond sank around two minutes after it was first struck, and Lim was washed overboard.

After Lim resurfaced after being dragged under the water, he found a wooden plank that had broken off the ship. Two hours later, he found a wood life raft and climbed aboard. While he did see another boat carrying five men who waved him over, without any way to move the raft in the water, the two boats drifted in separate directions.

When Lim boarded the boat, he noticed he had 10 gallons of fresh water, two pounds of chocolate, evaporated milk, lime juice, massage oil, flares, two smoke pots, and a flashlight. Lim was initially kept alive by drinking the water and eating what little food the raft had.

When Lim’s food supply ran out, he caught water using a canvas life jacket covering. While Lim could not swim, he tied a rope to the boat when he entered the water to catch fish. To fish, he took a spring out of the flashlight, converted it into a makeshift fishhook, and crushed hardtack to make bait.

One of Lim’s greatest accomplishments was catching a shark using the remains of seagulls he had caught as bait. After bringing the shark onto the lift raft, it attacked him, so Lim killed it using a water container.

The sun is one of the biggest dangers when trapped at sea. Lim had lost most of his clothes except his shirt and vest, so he made a skirt from a hessian bag to cover his body. To help block the sun, Lim used four poles and a canvas tarpaulin, which he made into a makeshift canopy to block sunlight and catch rainwater.

At one point, Lim saw a conning tower from a submarine and called for help. According to his story, the crew laughed at him and waved him away. Lim also indicates that some cargo ships spotted him but did not try to pick him up.

Fast forward to April 1943, when Lim realized he was approaching land. Drifting west around 750 miles, Lim was finally rescued by three Brazilian fishermen who found him around 9 miles off the coast of Para, Brazil.

In the aftermath of his incident, King George VI presented Lim with the British Empire Medal for his courage and fortitude. After being hospitalized for 35 days, Lim left Brazil and headed to New York, where he got to work in a factory and eventually emigrated to the United States.