Poon Lim was a Chinese sailor who survived 133 days alone on a raft at sea by fishing, drinking bird blood and killing a shark with a jug of water.
Poon Lim was a Chinese sailor who survived 133 days alone on a raft at sea by fishing, drinking bird blood and killing a shark with a jug of water. He holds the Guiness World Record for longest time adrift at sea—alone. When told of the record, he said, “I hope no one will ever have to break it.” Lim was a 25-year-old seaman from the south coast of China when he hopped on a British merchant ship in 1942. Shortly after leaving Cape Town, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. As the ship was sinking, Poon put on a life jacket and managed to swim to a raft that was stocked with fresh water, biscuits, an electric torch and some flares. He estimated there was enough supplies onboard to survive for a month. In the first month, Poon came in to contact with a freighter, U.S. Navy Patrol and another German U-boat; they all ignored his frantic calls for her help. Poon later recalled that these moments were the hardest to overcome mentally. However, he did not give up. He took matter