Interesting story of survival.

3 men out fishing had their boat capsize on them and after about 18 hours in a life raft, made it to shore where they survived for 10 days before being rescued. Although there were many mistakes made and there are plenty of lessens to be learned, the bottom line is that they survived and did some things right and now are able to share their story. There is also an audio interview link on the page which runs about 9 minutes and gives more details.

I have always thought that if I were to be stranded and had to survive, that a shoreline offers many opportunities to enhance the odds of survival...

I agree with you completely. It is hard to conceive of a better situation than a coast with high and low tides and plenty of shellfish and kelp or other aquatic plants. In addition, there are all the items might find while beachcombing; I have found functioning flashlights, unopened soda cans, literally miles of rope and cordage, net floats (both glass and plastic) marine charts, - you name it, it will turn up on a each someday.

Here's a link with additional details:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/article/1185143--b-c-fisherman-stranded-for-days-on-remote-island

Seas that could capsize a 50-foot fishing boat would make 18 hours on a life raft (in cold waters) thoroughly miserable.

It's unfortunate they didn't have a regular check-in system. Someone would have been looking for them a whole lot sooner.

These guys did quite well considering what they had to work with -- only their raft and the stuff in their pockets.

Clearly, they kept their heads and focused on the essentials, knowing they were in it for the long haul. They improvised footwear, shelter, and signalling. They found fresh water and food. And they did what they could to keep morale up, such as bathing with the soap they found.

The one big thing they weren't able to do was make fire. A Bic and a candle would have been a game-changer, precious beyond price.

It is sad that these experienced fishermen didn't have a covered life raft, nor did they have emergency supplies strapped into the raft. It also seems that they did not have a means of starting a fire as part of an EDC.

And apparently, despite being native Canadians, they didn't know how to start a fire with what they could find--the bow-drill method comes to mind.

They were indeed lucky to have survived.

Actually, we Canuckians don't come out of the womb with this kind of knowledge. Pour gasoline on it and light it with a match, maybe, but not fire with sticks.

Yes, some basic additional gear would have been very helpful. I don't know what gear is normally required in rafts on a vessel like this. But a bag of useful goodies in the raft would have been worth its weight in gold.



Maybe. Most Canadians, native or not, use a Bic to start fires. Starting any fire is tough enough in a West Coast rainforest, even with modern firestarters, because everything is a sponge. I would argue that even an experienced bow-drill operator would have a mighty tough time in that environment.



There was an element of luck, some of it good and some of it bad. But despite some large gaps in preparation, IMHO it was skill and knowledge, not luck, that kept them alive and in decent shape. Heck, they didn't even need medical attention when they were rescued.

To further expand on Doug's comments.

I have never been to Banks Island in the Hecate Strait but have visited Haiad Gwhaii (formerly known as the Queen Charlotte Islands) across the strait.

Banks Island is in a northern rainforest environment where annual rainfall is measured in feet and where humdity is usually very high. Lighting an emergency fire there and maintaining that fire for days at this time of year can be challenge for almost any experienced person regardless of method used. Especially where daily rainfall can be upwards of 8 inches or more. The ground and terrain is characterized by very large old and and second growth Cedar, Pine, Fir and other softwood tree species that with their thick canopies block all but the sunniest days of light. In many places, the ground is covered with water saturated downed trees covered in moss and where the thick and almost impenetrable underbrush can make overland travel, all but impossible.

As for luck, yes they had some of that, however for being stranded in such an environment, those fishermen did quite well and were very resourceful with what they found on the island. Making shoes out of styrofoam, how many would think of that?