This Raft Became One of History’s Worst Survival Stories

In July 1816, the French frigate Méduse ran aground off the coast of West Africa after sailing too close to the Banc d’Arguin. There were not enough lifeboats for everyone, so around 150 people were placed on a makeshift wooden raft built from the ship’s timbers. It sat dangerously low in the water, had almost no way to steer, and was supposed to be towed toward the coast by the boats ahead. Once the raft was separated from the boats, the people on board were left alone at sea. Waves repeatedly washed across the deck, food and fresh water quickly became scarce, and exhaustion, thirst, fear, and violence began to break down order. Over the following days, the survivors faced hunger, exposure, conflict, and increasingly desperate decisions as their numbers continued to fall. The disaster began after the Méduse grounded on July 2, 1816. For several days, the crew tried unsuccessfully to free the ship before the evacuation began. The raft carried sailors, soldiers, workers, and others who could not fit into the boats. Nearly two weeks later, the brig Argus finally found the raft. Only fifteen people were still alive, and several of them would die soon after the rescue. The Méduse disaster became one of the most notorious maritime scandals of nineteenth-century France. Survivors Henri Savigny and Alexandre Corréard published accounts of what happened, and their testimony later helped inspire Théodore Géricault’s monumental painting The Raft of the Medusa. CHAPTERS 00:00 — The Rope 01:02 — How They Got There 03:00 — The Solution 04:33 — The First Night 06:06 — The Second Night 08:02 — Hunger 09:31 — Thirty 10:42 — The Decision 11:58 — Fifteen 13:34 — Argus 14:51 — The Scandal That Survived This historical survival documentary is based on historical accounts and reputable sources. Some scenes are visual reconstructions created to illustrate events for which no original footage exists. #RaftOfTheMedusa #SurvivalStory #Shipwreck #MaritimeHistory #HistoricalDisaster