The madman on the rubber boat proved that the human will is stronger than the sea. A madman on a rubber boat proved that the human will is stronger than the elements of the sea. What prompted Alain Bomber to go on a trip
Alain Bombard went on a solo voyage, which lasted 65 days, from October 19 to December 23, 1952. His background is this. In the spring of 1951, Alain Bombard, a young intern doctor (A.B. was born on October 27, 1924), who had just begun his professional career in the hospital of the French port of Boulogne, was shocked by the number of dead sailors from the shipwrecked near the shore of the trawler Notre Dame de -Peyrag. The trawler at night, in the fog, ran into the stones of the coastal pier and crashed. 43 sailors were killed. In the morning, a few hours later, their bodies were pulled ashore and, most surprisingly, they were all wearing life jackets! It was this event that prompted the young doctor to take up the problem of saving the lives of people in distress at sea.
Bombard wondered why so many people become victims of shipwrecks? After all, many thousands of people die at sea every year. And as a rule, 90% of them die in the first three days. Why is this happening? After all, in order to die of hunger and thirst, it would take much longer. Bombard concluded, which he later wrote in his book Overboard of His Own Will: “Victims of the legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know: it was not the sea that killed you, it was not hunger that killed you, it was not thirst that killed you! Swinging on the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear!
French physician Alain Bombard. Photo: wikimedia.org
Alain Bombard became interested in the problems of survival in extreme conditions during his studies. Having studied many stories of people who survived after shipwrecks, Bombar was convinced that many of them survived, stepping over the medical and physiological norms determined by scientists. Some remained alive on rafts and boats, in the cold and under the scorching sun, in the stormy ocean, with a tiny supply of water and food on the fifth, tenth and even fiftieth day after the disaster. As a doctor who knows the reserves of the human body well, Alain Bombard was sure that many people who were forced to part with the comfort of the ship as a result of the tragedy and escape using any available means died long before their physical strength left them. Despair killed them. And such a death overtook not only random people in the sea - passengers, but also professional sailors accustomed to the sea.
Therefore, Alain Bombard decided to go on a long sea voyage, putting himself in the conditions of a "man overboard", in order to prove the following from his own experience: 1. A person will not drown if he uses an inflatable life raft as a life-saving device. 2. A person will not die of hunger and will not get sick with scurvy if he eats plankton and raw fish. 3. A person will not die of thirst if he drinks the juice squeezed from fish, and within 5-6 days - sea water. In addition, he really wanted to break the tradition that the search for shipwrecked victims stopped after a week or, in extreme cases, after 10 days. Regarding the first two points, I can say that it was after the voyage of Alain Bombara that on all ships, especially small and fishing ones, along with lifeboats and boats, inflatable life rafts of various capacities began to be widely used - PSN-6, PSN-8, PSN-10 , (PSN - inflatable life raft, the figure is the capacity of a person.) Regarding raw fish - the indigenous inhabitants of the Far North - the Chukchi, Nenets, Eskimos, in order not to get sick with scurvy, always ate and eat not only raw fish, but also the meat of marine animals, making up for the lack of vitamin "C", which, as you know, is found in various vegetables and fruits.
It was not so easy to carry out the planned experiment. The bomber had been preparing for swimming for about a year, both theoretically and psychologically. To begin with, he studied a lot of materials about shipwrecks, their causes, life-saving equipment of different types of ships and their equipment. Then he began to conduct experiments on himself, eating what could be available to the shipwrecked. For six months, since October 1951, Bombard spent in the laboratories of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco, studying the chemical composition of sea water, types of plankton, and the structure of various fish that can be found in the ocean. These studies have shown that from 50 to 80% of the weight of the fish is water, while fresh, and the flesh of marine fish contains less various salts than the meat of land mammals. It is the juice squeezed out of the body of fish that can satisfy the need for fresh water. Salty sea water, as shown by his experiments, can be drunk in small quantities to prevent dehydration, for five days. Plankton, on the other hand, consisting of the smallest microorganisms and algae, is known to be the only food for the largest marine mammals - whales, which proves its high nutritional value.
There were many friends who ardently supported the idea of Bombard and provided all kinds of assistance, but there were also skeptics, ill-wishers, or even simply hostile people. Not everyone understood the humanity of the idea, they even called it heresy, and the author himself - a heretic. Shipbuilders were indignant that the doctor was going to cross the ocean in an inflatable boat, which, as they believed, could not be controlled. The sailors were surprised that an unprofessional sailor, a person completely unaware of the theory of navigation, wants to make a voyage. Doctors were horrified when they learned that Alain was going to live on seafood and drink sea water. At first, swimming was conceived not as a single, but as part of three people. But as always happens, practice is very different from theory, the embodiment of the idea from the original idea. When Bombar received a rubber boat, designed for swimming, about the size of a passenger car, it became clear that there was simply no room for a long voyage of three. The boat was 4.65 meters long and 1.9 meters wide. It was a tightly inflated rubber sausage, curved in the shape of an elongated horseshoe, the ends of which were connected by a wooden stern. Light wooden sleighs lay on a flat rubber bottom. The side floats consisted of 4 compartments, which were inflated and deflated independently of one another. The boat moved with the help of a quadrangular sail with an area of about three square meters. Bombard called this "vessel" symbolically - "Heretic"! There was no additional equipment in it - only the badly needed compass, sextant, navigation books, first aid kit and photographic equipment.
Dr. Bombar aboard his Heretic. 1952 Photo: Getty Images
In the early morning of May 25, 1952, a speedboat towed the Heretic as far from the port of Fontvieille as possible so that the boat would be caught by the current and not washed ashore. And when the ships escorting the boat left, and Bombard and Palmer were left face to face among the alien elements, fear fell. Alain writes: “He suddenly fell upon us, as if the disappearance of the last ship over the horizon cleared the way for him ... Then we had to experience more than once fear, real fear, and not this momentary anxiety caused by departure. Real fear is the panic of the soul and body, distraught in the fight with the elements, when it seems that the whole universe is inexorably ganging up on you. And overcoming fear is no less difficult task than fighting hunger and thirst. Bombar and Palmer spent two weeks in the Mediterranean. During this time, they did not touch the emergency emergency supply, making do with what the sea gave them. Of course, it was very difficult. But Bombar realized that his first experience was a success, and you can prepare for a long voyage. However, Jack Palmer, by the way, an experienced yachtsman, who had previously made a solo voyage across the Atlantic Ocean on a small yacht, but abundantly equipped with everything necessary, refused to tempt fate any further. Two weeks was enough for him, he was frightened by the thought of eating raw fish again for a long time, swallowing nasty, albeit useful plankton, drinking juice squeezed from fish, diluting it with sea water.
Bombard, on the other hand, firmly decided to continue the planned experiment. First, he had to overcome the path from the Mediterranean to Casablanca, along the coast of Africa, then from Casablanca to the Canary Islands. And only then sail across the ocean in the way that all sailing ships went to America for many centuries, including the caravels of Columbus. This route passes away from modern sea routes, so it is difficult to count on a meeting with any vessel. But this was precisely what suited Bombard, so to speak, for the "purity" of the experience. Many tried to dissuade the doctor from continuing the voyage after he safely covered the route from Casablanca to the Canary Islands in 11 days on the Heretic. Moreover, in early September, Bombard's wife Ginette gave birth to a daughter in Paris. But, having flown for a few days from Las Palmas to Paris and seeing his relatives, the doctor continued the final preparations for departure. October 19, 1952, on Sunday, a French yacht brought the Heretic from the port of Puerto de la Luz (this is the port of the capital of the Canary Islands, Las Palmas) to the ocean expanse. A passing northeast trade wind carried the boat farther and farther from the Earth. How many incredible difficulties Bombara had to experience!
One of the first nights Bombar got into a severe storm. The boat was completely filled with water, only mighty rubber floats were visible on the surface. It was necessary to bail out water, but it turned out that there was no scoop, and the water had to be bailed out with a hat for two hours. In his diary, he wrote: “Until now, I myself cannot understand how I managed, chilling with horror, to hold out in this way for two hours. Shipwrecked, always be stubborn than the sea, and you will win! After this storm, Bombard believed that his "Heretic" could not roll over, it was like a hydroplane or a platform, as it were, gliding over the water surface. A few days later, the navigator suffered another misfortune - the sail burst from a gust of wind. The bomber replaced it with a new, spare one, but half an hour later another flurry tore it off and carried it into the ocean, like a light kite. I had to urgently repair the old one, and go under it for the remaining 60 days.
Neither fishing rods, nor nets, except for plankton, Bombar did not take on principle, as it should be for a shipwrecked person. He built a harpoon by tying a knife with a curved tip to the end of the oar. With this harpoon, he got the first fish - Dorada Dorado. And already from her bones he made the first fish hooks. Although biologists scared the doctor before sailing that he would not be able to catch anything far from the coast, it turned out that there were a lot of fish in the open ocean. She was not shy, literally accompanied the boat during the entire voyage. There were especially many flying fish, which at night stumbled upon the sail and fell into the boat, and each morning Bombar found from five to fifteen pieces. In addition to fish, Bombar also ate plankton, which he says tastes a bit like krill paste but looks unsightly. Occasionally, birds were caught on the hook, which he also ate raw, throwing out only the skin and fat. During the voyage, for about a week, the doctor drank sea water, and the rest of the time - juice squeezed out of fish. Fresh water managed to be collected in a small amount in the form of condensate on the tent after cool nights. And only in November, after a heavy tropical downpour, it was possible to immediately collect about 15 liters of fresh water.
From constant stay in a humid environment, from salt water and unusual food, pimples began to appear on Bombard's body, causing severe pain. The slightest wounds and scratches began to fester, they did not heal for a long time. The nails of the hands completely grew into the meat, pustules also formed under them, which the doctor himself opened without anesthesia. To top it off, the skin on my legs began to shred, and the nails on four fingers fell out. But the blood pressure remained normal all the time. The bomber kept observations of his condition throughout the voyage and wrote them down in his diary. When a tropical downpour fell for several days in a row, and water was everywhere - above and below, everything in the boat was saturated with it, he wrote: “The state of mind is cheerful, but physical fatigue appeared due to constant dampness.” However, the scorching sun and the calm that set in early December were even more painful. It was then that Bombar wrote a will, as he lost confidence that he would get to Earth alive. During the voyage, he lost 25 kilograms, and the level of hemoglobin in the blood dropped to critical. And yet he swam! December 23, 1952 "Heretic" approached the coast of the island of Barbados. He had to spend about three hours to go around the island on the east side, where there was the strongest surf due to the reefs, and land on the calmer western coast.
On the shore, a crowd of local fishermen and children were waiting for him, who immediately rushed not only to examine, but also to take all things out of the boat. The bomber feared most of all that they would not steal his emergency supply of food, which he had to leave untouched for examination at the very first police station. The nearest site, as it turned out, was at least three kilometers away, so Bombard had to find three witnesses who testified to the integrity of the packaging of this stock, and then distribute it to the local residents, which they were very happy about. Bombar writes that he was later reproached for not immediately sealing up his ship's logbook, his notes, in order to prove their authenticity. Apparently, he says, these people have no idea "how it feels to walk ashore after 65 days spent in complete solitude and almost without movement."
Thus ended this amazing feat in the name of saving the lives of those who are overboard against their will. Sailing on the Heretic and publication of the book "Overboard of one's own free will" were Bombard's finest hour. It was thanks to him that in 1960 the London Conference on the Safety of Navigation decided to equip ships with life rafts. Subsequently, he more than once undertook voyages for a variety of purposes, studied seasickness and the bactericidal properties of water, and fought against pollution in the Mediterranean Sea. But the main result of Bombara's life (A.B. died on July 19, 2005) is ten thousand people who wrote to him: "If not for your example, we would have died!"
sources
http://www.peoples.ru/science/biology/bombard/
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-10706/
http://shkolazhizni.ru/archive/0/n-10707/
http://www.kp.ru/daily/26419.3/3291677/
Here is another unusual story:, and indeed The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy is made -On a single rubber boat under sail in 65 days, almost no food or fresh water. The experience ended successfully. His feat was one of the most outstanding achievements of mankind in the confrontation with the ocean.
« Victims of legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know it wasn't the sea that killed you, it wasn't hunger that killed you, it wasn't thirst that killed you! Swinging on the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear».
(Alain Bombard)
Brief chronology
1952 Bombard set sail alone in a rubber boat across the Atlantic Ocean. The voyage lasted 65 days and was intended to prove that shipwrecked people could live for long periods at sea without food or water supplies, eating only what they could get from the sea. The experiment was a success
1953 edition books "Overboard at will"
1960 thanks to the Bombard experiment The London Navigation Safety Conference decided to equip ships with life rafts
Life story
This amazing person French physician Alain Bombard, clearly and convincingly proved that in order to acquire a reputation as a great sea traveler, it is not at all necessary to be a sailor. Moreover, there is evidence that he did not even know how to swim. While working as a practicing physician in a seaside hospital, Dr. Bombar was literally shocked by the statistics, reporting terrible numbers. Every year, tens and hundreds of thousands of people die in the seas and oceans! The bomber was convinced that a significant part of them did not drown, did not die of cold or hunger. Being in boats and boats, kept on the water thanks to life belts and life jackets, most shipwrecked die in the first three days. As a doctor, he knew that the human body can live without water10 days, and without food even up to 30. “Victims of the legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know: it was not the sea that killed you, it was not hunger that killed you, it was not thirst that killed you! Swinging on the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear, ”Bombard said firmly, deciding to prove by his own experience the strength of courage and self-confidence.
Knowing well the reserves of the human body, Alain Bombard was sure that death from fear and despair overtook not only passengers of warships and comfortable liners, but also professional sailors. They are accustomed to looking at the sea from the height of the ship's hull. A ship is not just a means of transportation on water, it is also a psychological factor that protects the human psyche from fear of an alien element. On a ship, a person has confidence that he is insured against possible accidents provided by designers and shipbuilders, that a sufficient amount of any food and water is prepared in the holds of the ship for the entire period of navigation and even beyond that ...
But even in the days of the sailing fleet, it was said that only whalers and fur seal hunters see the real sea. They attack whales and seals in the open ocean from small whaleboats and sometimes wander for a long time in the fog, carried by storm winds from their ships. These people were prepared in advance for a long sea voyage on a boat and therefore died much less frequently. Even having lost a ship in the open ocean, they traveled enormous distances and still came to land. And if some died, it was only after many days of stubborn struggle, having exhausted the last forces of their body.
The French doctor Alain Bombard was sure that there is a lot of food in the sea and you just need to be able to get it in the form of fish or planktonic animals and plants. He knew that all lifeboats on ships had a set of fishing lines and even nets, that if necessary they could be made from improvised means. This means that food can be obtained, since almost everything that our body needs, including fresh water, is contained in marine animals. And even sea water, consumed in small quantities, can save the body from dehydration.
Alain Bombard knew well the power of suggestion and self-hypnosis. He knew that the Polynesians, sometimes blown far from land by hurricanes, could rush through the stormy ocean for weeks and months and still survive by catching fish, turtles, birds, using the juices of these animals - tasteless, even nasty, but saving from thirst and dehydration . In all this, the Polynesians did not see anything special, since they were mentally prepared for such troubles. But the same islanders who survived in the ocean meekly died on the shore with a full abundance of food when they found out that someone had “bewitched” them. They believed in the power of magic and died of self-hypnosis.
In order to make potential victims of shipwrecks believe in themselves, in a real opportunity to overcome both the forces of the elements and their apparent weakness, Alain Bombard set up an experiment on himself in 1952 - he went to sailing the atlantic ocean in an ordinary inflatable boat. Bombar added only a plankton net and a speargun to her equipment. He called his rubber ship defiantly - " Heretic».
The bomber chose a route that runs far from sea routes, in a warm, but deserted zone of the ocean. Previously, as a rehearsal, he and his friend spent two weeks in the Mediterranean. For 14 days they made do with what the sea gave them. The first experience of a long journey dependent on the sea was a success. Of course, and it was difficult, very difficult! Swimming participant Jack Palmer said: “Sensations, already specifically negative, were aggravated by solar radiation, dehydrating thirst and an oppressive feeling of absolute insecurity from the waves and the sky, in which we dissolved, gradually losing our own selves. Hundreds of miles traveled, a few days of a throw to salvation, a monotonous menu from meat, juice, fat of caught fish, did not allow to act fully. There was only an opportunity to imitate life, to survive in essence on the sharply sharpened blade of the knife of uncertainty ... "
Jack Palmer was an experienced sailor, having previously crossed the Atlantic all alone in a small yacht equipped with everything necessary, but at the last moment he refused to participate in the ocean voyage with the Bombard. He assured that he believed in his friend's idea, but did not want to eat raw fish again, swallow healing but disgusting plankton and drink even more disgusting fish juice, diluting it with sea water.
Speaking of fish juice. As a physician, Bombar knew that water was more important than food. Previously, he examined dozens of fish species that he could get for lunch in the ocean, and proved that fresh water makes up from 50 to 80% of the weight of the fish, and the body of marine fish contains significantly less salt than the meat of mammals. Bombar also made sure that every 800 grams of sea water contains approximately the same amount of salts (not counting table salt) as there is in a liter of various mineral waters. During his journey, Bombar became convinced that it was extremely important to prevent dehydration of the body in the early days, and then a decrease in water rations in the future would not be detrimental to the body.
Bombard had many friends, but there were also skeptics, ill-wishers, and people who were simply hostile to him. Not everyone understood the humanity of his idea. Newspapermen were looking for a sensation, and since there was none, they invented it. But people who are well acquainted with the history of navigation and shipwrecks warmly supported the idea of Bombard. Moreover, they were confident in the success of the experiment.
August 14, 1952 single Bombara expedition started from Monte Carlo. For insurance, in case of a threat of imminent death, he nevertheless took an emergency supply - a small set of high-calorie canned foods. There was also a hermetically sealed shortwave radio set aboard the Heretic. In fact, it broke down pretty soon. Bombard's last radio message was his firm promise: "I will certainly prove that life always wins!"
The sea element constantly threw Bombard tests, one more serious than the other. A heavy wind tore the sail, making it difficult to keep the course. Frequent rains did not leave a dry thread and soaked to the bone. And the boat was chased by impudent sharks. They also prevented fishing and plankton sifting. The navigator's body was covered with non-healing ulcers, his fingers could hardly be bent, his head was spinning from constant nervous tension and lack of sleep.
The water made me sad, sometimes it looked like a seething cauldron, and sometimes it created the illusion of immobility. Alain stubbornly drove away despair. The one who called himself a heretic still felt that this was a great sin, and the doctor knew that the feeling of despair was harmful to health, in his own conditions it was simply life-threatening. And the movement towards the goal continued - slow, winding, but - movement.
65 days Alain Bombard sailed across the ocean. In the early days, he refuted the assurances of connoisseurs that there were no fish in the ocean. Yes, many authoritative travelers who have plied the ocean many times have said so. This delusion was due to the fact that it is difficult to see life in the ocean from large ships. But Bombar then crossed the ocean in a boat, from the side of which to the surface of the water - some centimeters. And the doctor was convinced from his own experience that the ocean is often deserted for many weeks of travel, but there are always creatures in it that can be useful to humans.
“When my strength was exhausted and defeatist moods crept into my soul,” recalls Bombar, “I was lifted aboard by the team of the British vessel "Arakoka". From the navigator, tormented by despair, I learned that I was 850 miles east of what I thought. What to do? Fix the bug, that's all. The captain began to dissuade, convincing that life is a priceless gift. I replied that I was doing my job to save other lives. "Heretic" again took the Atlantic. Again loneliness, harsh sun during the day, dank cold at night, again fish and plankton, giving strength in doses, now only enough to somehow cope with the sail of a clumsy rubber boat.
The bomber felt as happy as ever before, and entered with a pencil into the damp, moldy logbook the prophetic words: “You, my brother in distress, if you believe and hope, you will see that your wealth will begin to increase day by day, on the island of Robinson Crusoe, and you will have no reason not to believe in salvation.
When the traveler finally saw the shore, it was Barbados island. And again a test - for the soul and will. The bombard was met by hungry fishermen, who were not at all surprised by the appearance of a half-dead man in a rubber boat, and began to beg Alain to give them emergency food supplies. What a test for a doctor! But Bombar, overcoming the natural impulse of the soul, resisted. He later recalled: “It was fortunate that they did not eat the emergency supply. And then how would I prove that in 65 days of swimming I did not touch it ?!
Dr. Alain Bombard proved that a person can do a lot if he really wants to and does not lose willpower, that he is able to survive in the most difficult conditions. Describing this unprecedented experiment on himself in the sensational book "Overboard of his own free will", which sold millions of copies, Alain Bombard saved tens of thousands of lives of those people who were alone with the hostile elements and were not afraid.
Returning from swimming, Alain Bombard organized in San Malo (France) marine research laboratory. Now he firmly knew that it was vital to study them. These studies are extremely important because they are aimed at developing optimal modes of survival in extreme conditions. Practical results announced themselves very soon. Those who followed the recommendations of Bombar and the staff of his scientific center survived even where it would seem impossible to survive.
The great traveler Alain Bombard died at an advanced age (80 years) in the southern French city of Toulon on July 19, 2005.
But history also knows those who are ready to sacrifice their lives in the raging waves of a troubled ocean for the benefit of humanity, for the sake of science. This is exactly what Alain Bombard was - a doctor, traveler, biologist and public figure. His circumnavigation in an inflatable rubber boat showed that a shipwrecked man can survive without food and water in the open ocean, and Bombar's will power, shown on the way to the goal, amazed the whole world.
French doctor's theories
Alain Bombard was born on October 27, 1924 in Paris. As a very young medical student, Alain often wondered why the statistics of shipwreck victims were so high. Already when he, having completed his studies and went to work in one of the coastal hospitals, he had a chance to face a terrible picture of a shipwreck: 43 bodies of the unfortunate who were victims of the water element were brought to the hospital. This was imprinted in the memory of Bombard for life, the young doctor was amazed why people die in the first days of a shipwreck, when there is an adequate supply of water and food.
Alain Bombard delved into the problem of mortality due to maritime disasters and he managed to establish a terrible pattern - people who, by the will of fate, fell into the open sea on a lifeboat, died of despair, of fear of inevitability. The doctor realized that the main reason for the numerous deaths was the lack of desire to fight for his life and the loss of faith in a possible salvation. After studying the problem, Bombar developed survival techniques for those who were shipwrecked.
Experiment Idea
In the scientific world, Alain Bombard's theories were skeptical, and in 1952 he had the idea to prove by his own example that a person can survive on an inflatable boat in the open ocean, eating raw fish and drinking salty sea water from time to time. Such a desire caused general disapproval, and the desperate French doctor was considered crazy, because such an experiment was a real suicide.
Alain Bombard believed in himself and knew that the human body has huge internal resources and, subject to certain rules, will be able to endure a long journey in difficult conditions. Filled with this faith, the young doctor begins preparations for a round-the-world trip. He begins theoretical training: he examines the types of fish that can be found in the ocean and determines that the body of fish consists of 80% water, containing fats, salts and trace elements. Bombar admits that the juice squeezed out of fish can be used as a source of fresh water.
Alain Bombard planned to travel in the company of a companion. He advertised in the newspaper, and his proposal began to respond. But among the large number of applicants there was no suitable candidate: as a rule, madmen and suicides responded, people offering to eat them on time, and those who tried to send relatives they did not like on a dangerous journey. The satellite was nevertheless found, it was the yachtsman Jack Palmer, who made a test trip with Alain from about. Menorca, during which travelers ate raw fish they caught and drank the juice from it. But on the day of sailing, the unfortunate yachtsman was frightened by the hardships of circumnavigating the world and disappeared without a trace.
Dangerous journey
October 19, 1952, despite the birth of his daughter, Alain Bombard went on a long journey. His boat, four and a half meters long, was named "Heretic", as a challenge to the society that did not believe in his success. Throughout the voyage, Bombar used only raw fish and caught birds for food, drank sea water and fish juice. Despite the fact that there was a supply of food and water on board the boat, the traveler did not touch it even in the most difficult moments of ordeals - Bombar was ready for anything to prove his theories.
The journey was difficult, as expected. The bomber has been on the verge of death more than once, but thanks to his determination, the thirst to live and superhuman efforts, the newcomer to sea voyages managed to do what many experienced yachtsmen feared - he crossed the globe, proved the correctness of his theories and remained alive despite all the dangers of the way. Alain Bombard scooped water out of the boat for several hours in a row, during storms, falling from fatigue, he did not give up and fought, dispersed even large fish striving to damage the boat and did not accept any offer of passing ships to take him on board. The idea for the Frenchman was more important than comfort, plentiful food and.
The tragedy that overshadowed the triumph
Returning to France after 65 days of wandering through the expanses of water, Bombard became a celebrity: they reckoned with him, honored him and tried to inherit. Since that time, he has held honorary positions, takes part in scientific and social work, and writes the best-selling book Overboard of His Own Will.
In 1958, Alain takes part in the design of the raft, which was planned to equip all ships. But the test of the raft ended tragically: nine crew members and rescuers died, only Bombar managed to escape. This led to the fact that Alain's reputation was damaged, and it was he who was blamed by many for the tragedy.
Alain Bombard survived a severe depression, but despite this, in 1975 he began his political career. He held high positions in various French parties and state structures, and in 1981 became a member of the European Parliament. At the age of 80, the great traveler and public figure died in Toulon. His activities and life principles became an example for followers of travelers, and the motto "Be more stubborn than the sea, and you will win!" helped many people who were victims of difficult circumstances.
It is not the harsh elements of the sea that kill the shipwrecked, but their own fears and weaknesses. To prove this, the French physician Alain Bombard crossed the Atlantic in an inflatable boat without food or water.
In May 1951, the French trawler Notre-Dame de Peyrag set sail from the port of Equiem. At night, the ship went off course and was thrown by the waves onto the ledge of the Carnot mole. The ship sank, but almost the entire crew managed to put on their vests and leave the ship. The sailors had to swim a short distance to get to the stairs on the wall of the pier. What was the surprise of the port doctor Alain Bombard when in the morning the rescuers pulled 43 corpses ashore! People who found themselves in the water simply did not see the point in fighting the elements and drowned, remaining afloat.
stock of knowledge
The doctor who witnessed the tragedy could not boast of great experience. He was only twenty-six years old. While still studying at the university, Alain was interested in the capabilities of the human body in extreme conditions. He collected a mass of documented facts, when daredevils remained alive on rafts and boats, in cold and in heat, with a flask of water and a can of canned food on the fifth, tenth and even thirtieth day after the crash. And then he put forward a version that it is not the sea that kills people, but their own fear and despair.The sea wolves just laughed at the arguments of yesterday's student. "Boy, you've only seen the sea from the pier, but you're getting into serious questions," the ship's doctors said arrogantly. And then Bombar decided to experimentally prove his case. He conceived a voyage as close as possible to the conditions of a sea disaster.
Before trying his hand, Alain decided to stock up on knowledge. Six months, from October 1951 to March 1952, the Frenchman spent in the laboratories of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.
Alain Bombard with a hand press, which he squeezed out of the fish "juice"
He studied the chemical composition of sea water, types of plankton, the structure of marine fish. The Frenchman learned that more than half of sea fish consists of fresh water. And fish meat contains less salt than beef. So, Bombar decided, you can quench your thirst with juice squeezed out of fish. He also found out that sea water is also drinkable. True, in small doses. And the plankton that whales eat is quite edible.
One on one with the ocean
With his adventurous idea, Bombar captivated two more people. But due to the dimensions of the rubber bowl (4.65 by 1.9 m), I took only one of them with me.Rubber boat "Heretic" - on it Alain Bombard went to conquer the elements
The boat itself was a tightly inflated rubber horseshoe, the ends of which were connected by a wooden stern. The bottom, on which a light wooden flooring (elani) lay, was also made of rubber. On the sides were placed four inflatable floats. The acceleration of the boat was supposed to be given by a quadrangular sail with an area of three square meters. The name of the ship was a match for the navigator himself - "Heretic".
Bombard later wrote that the reason for choosing the name was that most people considered his idea "heresy", not believing in the possibility of surviving on only seafood and salt water.
However, Bombar did take something into the boat: a compass, a sextant, navigational books and photographic accessories. On board were also a first aid kit, a box of water and food, which were sealed in order to exclude temptation. They were intended for the most extreme case.
Alain's partner was to be the English yachtsman Jack Palmer. Together with him, Bombard made a trial voyage on the "Heretic" from Monaco to the island of Minorca lasting seventeen days. The experimenters recalled that already in that voyage they experienced a deep sense of fear and helplessness before the elements. But the result of the campaign everyone regarded in their own way. Bombard was inspired by the victory of his will over the sea, and Palmer decided that he would not tempt fate twice. At the appointed time of sailing, Palmer simply did not appear at the port, and Bom-bar had to go to the Atlantic alone.
On October 19, 1952, the motor yacht towed the Heretic from the port of Puerto de la Luz in the Canary Islands to the ocean and unhooked the cable. The northeast trade wind blew into a small sail, and the Heretic set off into the unknown.
It is worth noting that Bombard made the experiment more difficult by choosing voyages from Europe to America. In the middle of the 20th century, ocean routes ran hundreds of miles from Bombar's path, and he simply did not have a chance to feed himself at the expense of good sailors.
Against nature
On one of the first nights of the voyage, Bombar got into a terrible storm. The boat filled with water, and only the floats kept it on the surface. The Frenchman tried to bail out water, but he did not have a ladle, and it was pointless to do it with his palms. I had to adjust the hat. By morning the sea calmed down, and the traveler perked up.A week later, the wind tore the sail that propelled the boat. The bomber set a new one, but half an hour later the wind carried it into the waves. Alain had to repair the old one, and he sailed under it for two months.
The traveler got food as planned. He tied a knife to a stick and with this "harpoon" he killed the first prey - a sea bream. From her bones he built fishhooks. In the open ocean, the fish were not frightened and grabbed everything that fell into the water. The flying fish itself flew into the boat, killing itself when it hit the sail. By morning, the Frenchman found up to fifteen dead fish in the boat.
Bombara's other "delicacy" was plankton, which tasted like krill paste but was unsightly. Occasionally, birds were caught on the hook. Their traveler ate raw, throwing only feathers and bones overboard.
During the voyage, Alain drank sea water for seven days, and the rest of the time he squeezed "juice" from fish. It was also possible to collect the dew that settled in the morning on the sail. After almost a month of sailing, a gift from heaven awaited him - a downpour that gave fifteen liters of fresh water.
Extreme hike was given to him hard. The sun, salt and roughage led to the fact that the whole body (even under the nails) was covered with small abscesses. The bomber opened abscesses, but they were in no hurry to heal. The skin on my legs was also peeling off in shreds, and the nails on four fingers fell out. Being a doctor, Alain kept track of his health and recorded everything in the ship's log.
When it rained five days in a row, Bombar began to suffer greatly from excess moisture. Then, when calm and heat settled, the Frenchman decided that these were his last hours, and wrote a will. And when he was about to give his soul to God, the shore appeared on the horizon.
Having lost twenty-five kilograms of weight in sixty-five days of sailing, on December 22, 1952, Alain Bombard reached the island of Barbados. In addition to proving his theory of survival at sea, the Frenchman became the first person to cross the Atlantic in a rubber boat.
After the heroic voyage, the whole world recognized the name of Alain Bombara. But he himself considered the main result of this journey to be the glory that did not fall. And the fact that throughout his life he received more than ten thousand letters, the authors of which thanked him with the words: "If not for your example, we would have died in the harsh waves of the deep sea."