He Survived 133 Days Alone on a Raft

After his ship was torpedoed in 1942, Poon Lim spent 133 days alone on a raft in the Atlantic. His stored food lasted about fifty days. How did he survive the rest? This documentary follows his resourcefulness, isolation and eventual rescue through official records, authentic historical photographs and his later recollections. Extraordinary true stories, exceptionally told. CHAPTERS 00:00 Alone in the Atlantic 00:35 The ship is gone 02:04 Before the food runs out 03:34 Water 04:34 Beyond the raft 06:18 A fishing boat 06:57 A life beyond survival 09:19 Sources and production HISTORICAL NOTE The 133-day figure follows the contemporary British award citation. Some Navy photograph captions give 131 days; this discrepancy is acknowledged in the film. All historical photographs shown were taken after his rescue. Later recollections are identified separately from contemporary evidence. SOURCES AND CREDITS The London Gazette, 13 July 1943, issue 36091, p. 3169: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/i... Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/d... Historical photographs: U.S. Navy / National Archives, 80-G-42356 and 80-G-77014. Public domain; cropped and resized for this documentary. https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationa... https://www.flickr.com/photos/nationa... Poon Lim’s later recollections: Margie Lew, “Faith, Hope—and Survival,” Gum Saan Journal, 1978. Used as a factual source. https://gumsaanjournal.com/vol2-1978-... U-172 wartime diary, 23 November 1942; translation by Jerry Mason with Andi Forster. Used as a factual source. https://www.uboatarchive.net/U-172/KT... U.S. Congress, Private Law 178, 27 July 1949. Public-domain federal statute: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/S... Maps made with Natural Earth public-domain geographic data: https://www.naturalearthdata.com/abou... Original researched script, graphics, music and atmospheric sound design. Narration uses a synthetic voice. Environmental audio is newly created sound design, not historical recordings. #PoonLim #SurvivalStory #TrueStories