4th July real life experience

[Higgins (aka Bondtoys)]

On my James Bond forum a fellow member posted this story:

"I saw the pilot of the series when I was about 8 or 9 and have probably seen every episode since. Sadly they seem to play only the first six seasons or so on Sky. There were some seriously rubbish ones, and a few silly ones, but largely it would be my favourite programme.
I actually once fell off a small ferry at night. I was being sick over the side, and the rail gave way. Travelling alone, nobody missed me to sound the alarm. I treaded water all night. I thought of the episode where he got knocked off a surf ski and treaded water for over 24 hrs. I think it got me through. I found myself shouting at god, my dead grandfather, praying out loud that sharks would stay away... At dawn when i could make out land I swam what I estimated to be 2 miles to shore. It took 3 hours. I was in the water just under 8 hours. Not quite Magnum's record, but still..."

On my questions, he came up with further infos:

"It was in 2001 and I was thirty. It was a passenger ferry between Lombok and Sumbawa in Indonesia. On the way to Sumbawa in the daylight all the passengers watched the sharks follow the boat. I think the propellers stirred up or stunned smaller fish. I had been surfing in Sumbawa and had already had a run in with a 12ft plus tiger shark that cruised so close I thought it would bite my arm. The Aussies joked about how lucky I'd been and bought me a few beers. I stayed out the water after this for the three days before catching the ferry. Falling in was a nightmare especially knowing what was in the water. I'd only just come out of the army and had kind of made a pact that if I was ok and got through I'd be a better person... Well god got a bloody good earful that night! I love swimming, but couldn't be comfortable in the sea until 2006 when I got married and we went to the Maldives. There were very tiny sharks there, but I got over the fear for the sake of the honeymoon and what it had cost us! I've been ok ever since swimming off France, the canaries and Italy."

You can read it all here:

http://www.ajb007.co.uk/post/648981/#p648981

[terryfromkerry]

Hi Bondtoys.de

Great story.

My brief aquatic adventure is not as brave or interesting. Its more of an embarrassing one for me. My wife and I were in Maui for 3 weeks in 2007. We had planned the trip to coincide with my 50th birthday.

Anyway we booked a snorkeling trip to Molokini. This is a beautiful crescent shaped crater some miles from the Island. There were approx 50 or 60 tourists on board. I am not a good swimmer but had snorkeled along the shoreline of some of the Greek Islands previously within my own depth basically.

To cut a long story short it came to our turn to get in the water. My wife got in first. I followed swam several metres from the boat looked down and I guess it was the vastness of the ocean ........ who knows ....... whatever! I got a full blown panic attack started swallowing water and trashing about. I got into such a panic my wife swam up behind me locked her arm around my neck and swam back to the boat with me in tow. We had a good laugh about it later over a few bottles of " Long Board" beers.

[Danno]

Bondtoys.de, he's right about the sharks- very lucky to have survived in those waters. It's powerful to hear someone had that experience and was thinking of a Magnum episode.

I have a paralysing fear of sharks- the only place I feel safe surfing is Waikiki. The drop off in Sydney is too much for me- you feel like you're in deep ocean not far from the beach.
Recently it ruined a holiday to the Mediterranean- we hired a little boat and went around Capri- I lasted about a minute in the water- it's so clear your imagination gets the better of you... so I know how you feel, terryfromkerry.

[terryfromkerry]

Cheers Danno,

What do you think of Western Australia's shark cull ?

[Danno]

Cheers Danno,

What do you think of Western Australia's shark cull ?

I think it's outrageous.
It's their habitat and not ours... When you enter the water you have to respect that.

[terryfromkerry]

I agree. Here the fisherman of south Kerry want the State to sanction a cull of our Grey Seal population due to the perception they adveresly damage fish stocks in the area. Specifically 3 out of every 4 fish caught in the nets apparently are damaged in that they have been half eaten. I guess its like going to the Sushi bar for the seal. Again however as you stated it is their habitat not ours.

[Danno]

It's usually so much more complicated than we imagine- especially with regard to apex predators. Not to get too preachy, but this is a pretty good, short (and fascinating) video on how we're only beginning to understand natural diversity and the role of predators: http://sustainableman.org/how-wolves-change-rivers/

[terryfromkerry]

Interesting video Danno and thanks for posting.

[Styles Bitchley]

Great story Bond...and good discussion on the sharks. Can't imagine the panic I'd have alone at night in those waters.

[Higgins (aka Bondtoys)]

On The Rolex Forum I came across with the following story, he had his Roley engraved with " Home from the sea" and the date that he flew back home:



Dear Friends:

This is going to take a while, so grab an extra cup of coffee and get comfortable.

The "incident" took place on Oct 22nd and 23rd 2009. Here is a link to an interview I did with Harry Smith over at CBS; it covers the basic details and verifies that I'm not as crazy as some people say I am!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/surfer-s...ulf-of-mexico/

Five minutes isn't nearly enough to cover all the details; it surely isn't enough to talk about all the things that went through my mind as I paddled those 10 hours to get to the rig (14 miles offshore).

Anyway, to kill time as I stroked my way to safety, I must have sung the theme song to Gilligans Island 20 times. I even started to imagine that Tina Louise would meet me on the beach (didn't happen).

But the biggest thing I did was to remember the episode of Magnum P.I. (circa 1983) where Thomas got swept out into the Molokai Channel one July 4th. He was knocked off his paddleboard by a stupid speedboat and couldn't catch up to it as it drifted away.

As he is treading water for almost 24 hours, he flashes back to the time he was about 10 years old and his dad taught him to survive in the family pool. As an incentive, he promised him a GMT Pepsi if he could survive a 12 hour ordeal. I think it took him 2 tries, but he finally managed to pull it off and he got the watch! That memory somehow helped him survive being adrift off Oahu! Sometime later, TC and the boys spotted him from the famous multi-colored helicopter and flew him to safety.

Flash forward to 2009. As I am struggling to reach the oil rig, I dream that if I make it to safety, I will get to wear a GMT Pepsi of my own someday. I thought about it again the next morning as the helicopter flew me back to the beach.

It must have worked, because today, I'm sitting here typing up this little episode of my own. And, back in February of this year, I located a 1981 GMT Master (with the obligatory Pepsi bezel) and wired the funds. I wear it proudly on special occasions and boast to everyone on why I have it:

I EARNED it !

[KENJI]

On The Rolex Forum I came across with the following story, he had his Roley engraved with " Home from the sea" and the date that he flew back home:



Dear Friends:

This is going to take a while, so grab an extra cup of coffee and get comfortable.

The "incident" took place on Oct 22nd and 23rd 2009. Here is a link to an interview I did with Harry Smith over at CBS; it covers the basic details and verifies that I'm not as crazy as some people say I am!

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/surfer-s...ulf-of-mexico/

Five minutes isn't nearly enough to cover all the details; it surely isn't enough to talk about all the things that went through my mind as I paddled those 10 hours to get to the rig (14 miles offshore).

Anyway, to kill time as I stroked my way to safety, I must have sung the theme song to Gilligans Island 20 times. I even started to imagine that Tina Louise would meet me on the beach (didn't happen).

But the biggest thing I did was to remember the episode of Magnum P.I. (circa 1983) where Thomas got swept out into the Molokai Channel one July 4th. He was knocked off his paddleboard by a stupid speedboat and couldn't catch up to it as it drifted away.

As he is treading water for almost 24 hours, he flashes back to the time he was about 10 years old and his dad taught him to survive in the family pool. As an incentive, he promised him a GMT Pepsi if he could survive a 12 hour ordeal. I think it took him 2 tries, but he finally managed to pull it off and he got the watch! That memory somehow helped him survive being adrift off Oahu! Sometime later, TC and the boys spotted him from the famous multi-colored helicopter and flew him to safety.

Flash forward to 2009. As I am struggling to reach the oil rig, I dream that if I make it to safety, I will get to wear a GMT Pepsi of my own someday. I thought about it again the next morning as the helicopter flew me back to the beach.

It must have worked, because today, I'm sitting here typing up this little episode of my own. And, back in February of this year, I located a 1981 GMT Master (with the obligatory Pepsi bezel) and wired the funds. I wear it proudly on special occasions and boast to everyone on why I have it:

I EARNED it !

Great find Bondtoys.de!