Alone: Lost Overboard in the Indian Ocean

Brett Archibald

Nov 2017 · Sold by Thomas Dunne Books

About this ebook

"Solitude is terrifying and awe-inspiring in Alone." —The Wall Street Journal

In April 2013, fifty-year-old Brett Archibald was on board a surf-charter boat, making a night-time crossing of the remote Mentawai Strait off Sumatra, Indonesia. In the middle of a storm, ill with severe food poisoning, he blacked out. When he came to, he found himself in the raging sea, sixty miles from shore. As Brett saw the lights of his boat disappearing into the darkness, it became clear that no one had seen him fall, and that no one would hear his shouts for help. He was alone in the ocean.

It would be eight hours before his friends realized he was missing. At that point a frantic search began for a single man somewhere in thousands of square miles of heaving waves. The rough weather meant that no planes or helicopters could assist in the search. According to the experts, he should have died within ten to fourteen hours.

Instead, Brett battled Portuguese man o' war and jellyfish, sharks, seagulls, and the stormy seas for more than 28 hours. Alone is the remarkable tale of his miraculous survival and rescue. It is also the story of what it takes to defy extraordinary odds and the incredible power of the human spirit.

Ratings and reviews

Alone by Brett Archibald is the astonishing true story of his survival at sea for over twenty-eight hours. On board a surf-charter in the midst of a storm and the cover of night, Brett Archibald found himself experiencing severe food poisoning. His illness was so extreme that he passed out. When he came to he was sixty miles from shore in the middle of a turbulent sea. What happened next was a story of defying great odds, the sea and her creatures. I don’t normally pick up reads like this, but this was a magnificent read, one guaranteed to make you rethink how you look at life. Brett’s story is one that shows just what a human can accomplish when their life is threatened. The body and the mind are both capable of such extraordinary abilities and can carry us long after we feel we can survive. This isn’t just a story about Brett’s survival, but also his life. You get to learn about his background and what brought him to be at the sea in the first place. You also get to learn what happened after and what direction his life took after the incident. This a wonderful and educational read. I recommend this to anyone who loved to read about extraordinary life experiences. Four stars.

About the author

BRETT ARCHIBALD is an international businessman and entrepreneur. Over the course of 35 years he has built an impressive global career, which included directorship positions with a worldwide hospitality and travel corporation in Johannesburg, Sydney, Hong Kong, and London. He is currently the chairman of an events and hospitality company, as well as an inspirational speaker on the national and international circuits. He lives in Cape Town with his wife and their two children. Alone: Lost Overboard in the Indian Ocean is his autobiographical narrative about surviving 28 hours in the sea by himself.