Castaway

Can you imagine spending more than a month drifting in a small boat in the South Pacific Ocean? Two sailors from Kiribati were eventually found on an isolated atoll on the southern fringes of the Marshall Islands, 500km (300 miles) from home. Little is known about how they survived but theirs is a story of true resilience.

 

For Bob Cooper, a veteran survival expert from Western Australia, escaping such dire circumstances depends on staying positive and calm, not easy when salvation seems so far away.

"That fight is going on with your logical side saying, 'We need water, warmth, shelter, signals and food.”

Experts agree that while sound planning and a clear mind are key ingredients, luck plays a decisive part too. One over-inquisitive nudge by a passing shark or a freak wave could sink all hope, while a slice of good fortune could make all the difference.

Gabriel, José, Laís, Lina, Lucas, Rodrigo and Otávio