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Real Survival Stories

Pacific Castaways: Family Shipwrecked (Part 1 of 2)

Real Survival Stories

NOISER

Society & Culture, Documentary, Sports, Wilderness, History

4.81.2K Ratings

🗓️ 2 November 2023

⏱️ 48 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

It’s one of the all-time, epic survival stories. In 1971, Douglas Robertson is just a teenager when he and his family embark on the trip of a lifetime. Their aim is to sail around the globe. But when their small yacht is sunk in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, their dream of circumnavigation turns into a nightmare of self-preservation. The Robertsons must stick together and battle extraordinary adversity as a family. But will it be enough to see them through? You can see the Robertsons’ tiny dinghy at the National Maritime Museum in Falmouth, UK: nmmc.co.uk/ A Noiser production, written by Joe Viner. For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to new episodes, join Noiser+. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started with a 7-day free trial. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

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0:05.0

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0:18.0

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0:21.0

It's July 1972, somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

0:27.0

300 miles from land and nine foot dinghy is swept up on a huge swell like a scrap of driftwood.

0:36.3

For 18 year old Douglas Robertson and his family, this tiny vessel is all that stands between

0:41.9

them and certain death.

0:45.9

Cling to the mast, Douglas stares up at the brooding black rain clouds ahead.

0:51.2

He runs his parched tongue over his cracked lips.

0:55.0

After weeks of relentless son,

0:57.0

Robertson's are almost out of drinking water.

1:00.0

The sudden promise of rain is like an answer to their prayers.

1:03.3

This could be their only opportunity to get fresh water,

1:07.1

and they're not going to squander it.

1:10.4

Keeping one eye on the approaching weather, Douglas helps his father take down the sail.

1:15.0

They spread it above their heads as a canopy to collect rain.

1:19.0

But it doesn't just rain. It pours.

1:24.0

Soon the Robbertsons have replenished their water supply,

1:28.0

but as torrential sheets still cascade from the sky,

...

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