Castaway

Maria Rodriguez was the sole survivor of the Albatross, a yacht that sank during a recent storm. She spent ten days marooned on an island. During this time, she recorded her experience …

When I regained my senses earlier today, I was lying on a beach. At first, I was very confused. Then it all came flooding back … the terrible storm, the enormous waves, and the frantic rush for life jackets. What happened to the rest of the crew? I seem to be on an island. What am I going to do?

I continued exploring today. Most of the island is covered in thick jungle. It’s very healthy and beautiful and has what seems like hundreds of shades of green. There's all kinds of creatures, especially brightly colored parrots. The jungle makes a nice change from all the palm trees near the beach.

I got badly sunburned while I was fishing this afternoon. The sun burns brightly here. I must try to make some kind of hat. More rumbling today. Maybe it's my stomach. I lay beneath the palms earlier and dreamed about food.

Yesterday, I explored the island some more. It was a great adventure — I forgot about all my troubles and almost enjoyed myself.

Inland, the soil is very fertile. I came across some large clearings, and to my amazement, I found some pomelo trees growing on the side of a mountain. They taste like a grapefruit. I couldn’t see how high the mountain was because of the clouds, and I was too tired to walk anymore. The pomelos tasted great after my fishy diet.

A strange thing happened this morning — I saw smoke in the sky. At first, I thought it was a cloud, but there was also a strange smell, almost like sulfur. It disappeared after a few hours.

After lunch (six pomelos!), I explored the coastline. It was hard work. I eventually came across large cliffs that were impossible to pass.

There was another downpour this afternoon. It rains around the same time every day, regular as clockwork. It’s a good thing because I catch my drinking water in coconut shells.

Nine days with no sign of rescue. My hopes are fading.

There’s a ship on the horizon. I’ve lit a large fire on the beach. They have to see it!

Well, my island looks much better from the deck of a ship than it ever did from the beach, especially on a full stomach and after a hot shower.

And it looks like I wasn’t imagining the rumblings after all – although it’s lucky I didn’t know about my fiery companion at the time …

I cheered up this morning when I found that some of my things had washed up on the beach. I have a knife and can opener (sadly, no cans of food), a very soggy paperback that dried quickly in the sun, and a tennis ball! I also found my camera, which was well–protected by its waterproof case.

There was an enormous downpour this afternoon, and I couldn’t see beyond the lagoon. It rained for about twenty minutes, then the sun came out, and it was hotter than ever. I need to find food. Coconuts aren’t enough.

I had a very disturbed sleep last night. I kept hearing strange rumblings in the distance. I think my imagination is working overtime. I’m trying to keep myself busy, so I explored the beach and farther inland. I saw no sign of people — it’s difficult not to despair.

I managed to spear some small fish today. They looked better than they tasted, but it felt good to eat. This afternoon, I added more palm leaves to the roof of my shelter.