When Michael Graham began his fishing trip in a 13½ foot canoe off the Florida coast, little did he know he would be stranded battling for his life for more than two days.  Bushcraft UK has discovered that the man, an experienced angler who lives in the area, used simple survival skills to keep his motivation going, a strategy that saved his life.

When a freak storm overturned his canoe and pulled him further out to sea, Graham, 49,  managed to grab a life jacket, his bait bucket and a knife.

Using a familiar coastal landmark as a his compass, he tried to make his way back to shore, but the currents of a busy shipping lane kept him away.  Graham told the Florida press that ships often passed near, but failed to see him.

By day two, sharks had begun to trail him. He had flipped his canoe over, and had entered the water, shading himself from the sun under his canoe, when he noticed two sharks approaching.  By the next morning he was using his knife as a reflector in the water to try and scare the predators away.

Hunger and thirst set in quickly he reported.  He soon began scanning the water for seaweed or debris he could eat.

After 54 hours, a casino ship passed close enough to him that he could muster a sprint swim towards it.

When asked what he would take with him on his next venture, Graham told Tampa Bay's 10 network he would bring only one more item - a whistle.

In 2005, Lucio Rendón, Salvador Ordóñez and Jesús Eduardo Vidaña survived afloat for nine months, eating raw fish and sea turtles, collecting rain water in empty petrol cans.

Article: John Burton

Photo: Tampa Bay's 10

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written by BOD , July 04, 2007

Knife as a reflector???

Shiny objects including knives have been associated with attacks by predators who apparently see it as reflection of light off a fishes scales.

Unless he was waving around a $900 Gigantasaur

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