It was 3 a.m. I was on a tiny ship in the middle of the ocean working for a team of ocean explorers with my crew mates Bill, Josh, and Joe the captain. We were about to launch the underwater submarine when a big wave smashed against the side
of the vessel sending me overboard. My life preserver immediately inflated upon contact with water. What was that? It wasn't supposed to be stormy today! I yelled. The forecast said it would be clear and calm until 6 p.m. but as they say,
“The weather forecast could be wrong.” However, most likely it was a rogue wave which can travel hundreds of miles across the ocean and capsize unsuspecting boats. I couldn't think about that right now and needed to focus on my survival. First,
I tried looking around for the lights of the boat but it was completely dark. The boat crew and captain would be looking around and yelling for me but I couldn't hear anything. Then out of nowhere something came flying at my head and knocked me unconscious.
I feel the warm ocean water around my feet and sand between my lips. The hot sun beating against my skin began to sting. I sat up and rubbed my head. I felt a sharp pain; something hard must have hit my head.
By some miracle I am still alive and very thankful for that. I tried to stand up but couldn't do so; my legs felt like rubber. I looked out over the ocean from the beach and all I could see was nothing but empty sea. Not a single ocean going vessel in sight.
As I gradually got my strength back I began to look around the island from the beach…nothing but trees. No sign of life anywhere save for a few crabs and birds. A sense of panic came over me. How am I going to survive? Before long I began to
remember my training. Before going out to sea, the entire crew of the ship had to take a survival class just in case something like this happened. The first thing I must do is to assess my physical condition. Apart from the sharp pain on
the right side of my head everything else seems fine. I took a quick inventory of everything I had; 1 watch and 1 utility knife strapped to my waist and my team's ocean explorer suit with life preserver. The knife is a tool I used
around the boat all the time which is why it was secured to my belt…lucky me! The next thing is to establish shelter in a safe place free of dangerous wildlife; to do that I need to do some exploring. It was early in the morning according
to my watch so I have all day to look around the area. Brrrrrrrrrr ! my stomach began to growl. A wave of hunger swept over me. Before I go exploring I need to get some food. It didn't take long before I found some coconuts, almond fruit and sea
berries which were plentiful. I also found a conch in the shallows which can be eaten raw. After my meal I felt 100 times better and my morale lifted. Feeling fully energized I set out to find a good spot to shelter. After 3 hours of searching
I found a good location to set up my camp. It was a big rock with a small cave just big enough for one person. The floor of the cave was filled with small pebbles and perfect for a makeshift bed. From the front of the cave I can see clearly out
onto the vast ocean which is important to see any passing boats I can signal. I immediately got to work preparing my camp. I gathered enough wood and palm leaves to make a comfortable sleeping area. Using the excess wood I gathered
to make a signal fire pile. I found empty soda cans, the bottom of which can be used to make a sunlight reflector which can be seen from miles away by passing sea boats or aircrafts. It will be night soon and I became overwhelmed by sleep.
My stomach growled but I was too tired to care. My eyes closed as soon as I fell onto the makeshift bed. The next day I woke up early. My watch said 6:04 A.M. A small pool of fresh water formed in a small natural catchment area of the cave.
It must have rained last night. The pool of fresh water was a life saver. I drank directly from the pool of water and saved as much of it as I could in plastic jugs I found washed up on the island. I got some breakfast, fresh conch, coconut water
and some leftover berries from yesterday. After my meal I continued exploring the island. From my exploration I have determined that I am on an atoll. An atoll is the remnance of an ancient volcano, which over time became an island surrounded by a reef with a lagoon
in the middle where the rim of the volcano once stood. The volcano is long gone; It sank back into the sea over the melenneas. The days went by slowly. I spent my time exploring, gathering food and looking out at the ocean for any sign of help.
One day turned into three days, then a full week went by. Life became routine and mondaine. I had plenty of food, water, and wood for fire and adjusting to life as a castaway became easier with each passing day. In survival class we were taught
to keep busy and focus on surviving will help deal with sad feelings. I thought of all my friends and family members and what they may be going through; by now they must think I'm dead and this makes me very sad. On the 22nd day I arose out of my sleep
to what sounded like a helicopter hovering close by. I ran out of my cave and ran down to the beach. I could hear the unmistakable sound of a helicopter but I couldn't see anything. As I listened closely the noise was coming from the other
side of the island, beyond the trees and out of sight. If I cannot see them, then they cannot see me. I sprinted around the beach and into the woods to the other side of the island as fast as I could. When I got to the other side of the atoll I could see
the helicopter flying away in the opposite direction. My heart sank. In a last ditch effort I ran back to my camp and set the pile of wood on fire hoping that they may see the smoke, but the fire took too long to get going.
By the time the smoke started bellowing upwards to the sky, the helicopter was already over the horizon and out of sight. That night I cried and cried at the missed opportunity to be rescued. Cold and alone I cried myself to sleep.
To be Continued