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The Man Who Fell Overboard and Survived 29 Hours Lost at Sea
The incredible story of South African surfer Brett Archibald
On 17th April 2013, Brett Archibald, originally from South Africa, experienced the most traumatic incident of his entire life. He would spend over 29 hours floating in the Indian Ocean, fending off sharks, seagulls, and battling intense heat. Little did he know, he would come out the other side able to tell his story.
Brett and a group of eight lifelong friends were on a surfing trip in Indonesia. They were heading for a group of islands off the coast called Mentawai. It is renowned for being one of the best surfing destinations in the world thanks to its warm waters and big waves.
Falling overboard
Typically, surfers head from the coastal port of Padang across the Mentawai Straight at night as the waters are calmer and they can start surfing the next morning. Brett’s group did the same and began to sail across on board their chartered boat, the ‘Naga Laut’.
Like most of his team, Brett began feeling seasick and headed to the side of the boat to be sick. That’s when he blacked out, waking up a few moments later in the water. He could see the boat ten or fifteen metres in front of him sailing away. It was approximately 2:15 a.m…
