Resilience Lessons From an Incredible Real-life Castaway!
November 23rd, 1942: Against a cloudless azure sky, the tramp steamer SS Benlomond chugged slowly north. Over 750 miles off the Brazilian coast, she was bound for Suriname, then New York. Despite it being wartime, she trudged on alone.
Just before midday, two enormous explosions shook the ship. The sound of tortured metal screeched. Alarm bells rang. The ship began to list and sink. The old freighter had been struck by two torpedoes, fired from the German U-Boat.
Dressed in his white steward’s uniform, 25-year-old Poon Lim scrambled amidst the chaos. He seized a life jacket, pulled it over his head and tied the straps tight. With waves spilling over the decks, he plunged into the sea.
Struggling to swim, he tried to get away from the ship, lest it suck him down. Finally, he got clear but only just. Looking back, he saw the cargo ship slip beneath the waves. In less two minutes, the Benlomond was gone.
There was 53 crew on the ship that day, 22 British and 23 Chinese. All perished, except one: Poon Lim.
Poon bobbed in the water for next two hours. Salvation came when he spotted a life raft. He paddled to it and clambered aboard.
Poon did not realize it but his story had just begun. This eight-foot square wooden life raft, about the size of California King sized bed, was to be his home for a very long time.
Nothing in Poon’s life had prepared him for what would happen next. Born in pre-war China, he had dreamed of adventure. He signed on as an engine room stoker on cargo steamer in Hong Kong. He had travelled the globe as a crewman on several ships.
However, he had no survival training, could barely swim and had no special equipment. What follows is a remarkable story about how this lone seaman learned by trial –and much error- how to survive.
When Poon reached his life raft he had no idea how long it would be before he would be rescued. It could be days or weeks.
His first “lucky” break was when he looked into the raft’s storage compartment. Inside he found a treasure trove. There was a forty liter jug of water (about 10 gallons), several tins of biscuits, a type of jerky known as pemmican, sugar lumps and chocolate. He also found a flashlight and two flares to signal passing ships.
He settled down to wait and rationed his supplies for 30 days. Like other survivors who had been torpedoed in the past, Poon hoped a friendly ship or plane would spot and save him. Staying alive would be a waiting game.
However, the Benlomond had gone down beyond the busy sea lanes. Also, it had sunk so fast that ship’s wireless operator did not have time to send a distress signal.
No one knew Poon’s fate or was looking for him. In fact, because the Benlomond had been steaming alone it would be weeks before anyone noticed it had not reached its port.
Over the weeks, the stark reality began to dawn on Poon that rescue could be a very long time. Surrounded by seemingly limitless Atlantic Ocean, prowling sharks and under the intense sun –the ship had gone down just south of the Equator. Poon realized he was on his own.
He got to work. First, he made a water catcher from canvas sail and his life jacket. Catching rain and dew water saved his life. Next was food. Lim fashioned hooks and a fishing line from hemp rope, nails, and tin lids.
He crushed biscuits into a paste to catch small fish. Used them as bait for bigger fish. Eating them raw.
He now saw the circling sharks that bumped his boat not only with fear but as an opportunity. He was able to catch smaller sharks, killing them with the water jug. Poon even made fake a “nest” on the raft –with fish guts as bait- to entice seagulls. He managed to catch several birds. Making seagull jerky.
His motto was food for today, survive until tomorrow.
Two months into his ordeal a violent storm almost killed Poon and destroyed his raft. Waking the next day he found his stock of food and water was lost. Unperturbed, Poon set to work fixing his tiny craft and finding food.
Catching another shark, he not only dried its flesh but also ate its liver but drank its blood. This may be hard to read. But even tougher to do. His lesson action is a necessity, adjust to the situation and find the positive. Even humble progress is still progress.
To keep his spirits and strength up, Poon began the habit of swimming twice a day. Careful not to go too far, he tied a safety rope around his waist. Such routines –small actions, consistently applied- gave him a sense of control over what many people might consider a hopeless situation.
Beyond the physical, Poon also mastered the physiological aspects of resilience. He learned to reset his expectations. He found counting days, by tying knots on a rope, disheartening. There were too many knots. Instead, he decided to count the lunar cycle. Never losing hope, he spent a lot of time thinking of his family.
Real low points, for Poon, were when he was spotted by a patrol plane that dropped markers. Unfortunately, a storm brewed, dashing any hopes of rescue. So after, Poon saw two ships and frantically waved at them. Firing his signal flares. But they did not see him or perhaps were under orders not to stop.
After each disappointment, Poon recalibrated himself. He thought about the immediate tasks. What needed to be done: collect water, catch fish and mend his raft. Always believing that rescue would –must- come.
Eventually, Poon began to notice that sea was gradually changing colour, becoming darker, brownish. It could mean only one thing, he was drifting closer to land and a great river’s mouth.
A few days later, Poon was dozing when he was discovered by three Brazilian fishermen. Poon was elated and wept. When they found him, Poon was 10 miles from shore.
He had survived a staggering 133 days alone and adrift on the open ocean. That is almost four and half months. Even more remarkable, he was able to walk ashore unaided and despite so many hardships, his clothes in tatters, he had lost only 20 pounds in weight.
Convalescing in hospital, he was told he had set a world record. An endurance feat never matched since for a survivor on a life raft. Poon’s response, “I hope no one ever have to break that record.”
What Poon learned about food, water, and mental state, on a rickety raft, has since become the naval textbook on how to survive at sea. However, Poon’s story is more than mere survival, it is about how each of us can draw upon a well of resilience to overcome life’s greatest challenges.
Poon always believed he would survive. He had an external point of focus –an optimism- that motivated him to keep going, no matter what. He had a determination born from an overwhelming desire to see his family.
He also learned to adapt to his situation. Change his plan and find the point of influence, no matter how small. He constantly changed his approach. He tried to make the best of things and to celebrate small triumphs. He recounted later how he jumped with joy the first time he filled his jug with rainwater.
Poon also constantly tried to learn and experiment, to find a better way, to do even the simplest thing. He had setbacks and disappointments aplenty, but he never gave up, even when storms washed him overboard, sharks prowled and passing ships appeared and then disappeared on the horizon. He remained positive, focused and determined.
What Poon learned can inspire us too, whether a life tragedy, founding a business or creating a new path in one’s life, Poon Lim’s story gives key lessons on resilience. Learn to adapt in the moment. Try to find even the smallest focus of control to influence the outcome. Do not dwell on the calamity but establish empowering routines and tasks that give you traction and a sense of progress. Finally, maintain fierce determination by focusing on something beyond yourself, a greater purpose, the “reason” that drives you.
After two months in the hospital, Poon became a minor celebrity talking about his experience. He was even awarded a medal by the British King. After the war, Poon moved to America. In 1991, Poon Lim died in Brooklyn, aged 72.
About the Author
Simon Trevarthen is Founder and Chief Inspiration Officer of Elevate Your Greatness (EYG). EYG helps individuals, teams, and organizations unpack the secrets of success by becoming even better versions of themselves through dynamic keynotes, seminars, and workshops on innovation, inspiration and presentation excellence.
