Background
Poon Lim was born on March 8, 1918, in Hainan, China. In 1942, he was working as a second steward on the British merchant ship SS Benlomond. The ship was part of a convoy sailing from Cape Town, South Africa, to Paramaribo, Suriname.
Shipwreck
On November 23, 1942, the SS Benlomond was torpedoed by a German U-boat (U-172) in the South Atlantic Ocean. The ship sank quickly, and Poon Lim found himself alone in the open sea. He managed to grab a life jacket and, after several hours in the water, found an 8-foot (2.4-meter) square wooden raft stocked with some basic supplies, such as a few tins of biscuits, a 40-liter jug of water, some chocolate, a bag of sugar lumps, some flares, two smoke pots, and a flashlight.
Survival at Sea
Over the course of 133 days, Poon Lim survived against overwhelming odds:
Rationing and Resourcefulness: Lim carefully rationed his supplies. When the biscuits and water ran out, he used a canvas tarp to collect rainwater and fashioned a fishing line from the hemp rope on the raft, using a bent nail as a hook. He caught fish and even managed to capture seabirds, using their blood to supplement his water intake.
Inventiveness: Lim used his ingenuity to improve his chances of survival. He fashioned a knife from a biscuit tin to clean the fish and birds he caught. He also created a net from the hemp rope to increase his catch of fish.
Challenges and Hardships: Throughout his ordeal, Lim faced numerous challenges, including exposure to the harsh sun, saltwater sores, and the constant threat of sharks. He used the materials available to him to protect himself as best he could, such as making a hat from canvas to shield himself from the sun.
Resilience: Despite the immense physical and psychological toll, Lim remained determined to survive. He kept track of the days by tying knots in a rope.
Rescue
On April 5, 1943, after 133 days adrift, Poon Lim was finally rescued by Brazilian fishermen near the coast of Brazil. He was taken to a hospital in Belém, where he slowly recovered from his ordeal. By then, he had lost a significant amount of weight and was extremely weak, but he survived.
Aftermath
Poon Lim's remarkable survival became legendary. He was awarded the British Empire Medal by King George VI and held the record for the longest survival on a raft at sea. His story has inspired many and is often cited as one of the greatest tales of human endurance and survival.
Legacy
Lim emigrated to the United States after the war, where he lived until his death in Brooklyn, New York, on January 4, 1991. His story remains a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of the human spirit in the face of extreme adversity.
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