Let Me Survive

On September 30, 1994, Louise Longo, Bernard and their six-year old daughter, Gaëlla, left Rochefort, a French port in the Atlantic, to go on a three week cruise. On the night of October 5, a storm started in the dangerous Bay of Biscay. In the breaking seas, Bernard was afraid the sailboat would sink and thought they would be safer in the liferaft. The Spanish coast was only 40 miles away, they would soon be rescued.

But fate was against them. They had hardly any food, very little water. No boat appeared. Bernard, who had been hurt getting into the raft, died on the morning of October 11. For two weeks, Louise fought hunger, thirst and despair while trying to keep Gaëlla alive. Finally, on October 20, a Russian freighter spotted the raft. But the swell was too big. It was impossible to hoist them. The freighter left without them but called a helicopter. Louise did not know that rescue was coming. And it seemed that all hope left when the freighter abandoned them. Gaëlla gave up and closed her eyes. Only Louise survived.