A story of high seas survival (with chewing gum)
IMAGE: Sail-World.com.
Three Texas fishermen were rescued this past weekend after being lost at sea for a week. The three boaters were found 180 miles from land after a Coast Guard search that covered nearly 86,000 square miles. They were discovered while still with their capsized catamaran, Affordable Fantasy.
An ABC News report on the rescue detailed how the men stayed alive until they were found (emphasis ours):
The Coast Guard officials said they survived because they stuck with the boat. The men also rationed bubble gum and crackers and used a hose to suck fresh water out of the internal “washdown” tank. Fishermen often keep such a tank to wash fish slime off their boat when they are out in the salt water.