# Stranded at sea for 438 days



## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

A long read (for an article) but quite the tale of survival.



> *A fishing trip turns into a terrifying test of survival after Salvador Alvarenga becomes one man against the sea. *
> 
> By Jonathan Franklin from the book _438 Days_
> 
> ...


https://www.rd.com/true-stories/survival/man-stranded-sea-438-days/?trkid=soc-rd-facebook


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

> On the evening they estimated was Christmas Eve, the men chatted as they prepared their holiday feast. By now, Alvarenga had expanded their menu by hunting the seabirds that perched on their boat. Suddenly, Córdoba groaned: "My stomach!" Bubbles and liquid dribbled from his mouth, and he looked as if he would be sick. The men dissected the bird Córdoba had eaten part of earlier. Inside the stomach was a poisonous snake. Though Córdoba recovered, in the realm of psychological terror, the venom had taken possession of him. He retched at the thought of eating another raw seabird and withdrew from the world of food.
> 
> Over the next two months, as Córdoba withered and shriveled, his arms looked like sticks, and his thighs were reduced to the size of his forearm. He imagined it was better to die in the ocean than starve to death.
> 
> ...


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