Alain Bombard: The Doctor Who Proved Shipwreck Survival Was Possible

On October twenty-seventh, nineteen twenty-four, Alain Bombard was born in Paris, France. He was a physician and biologist, and his work focused on maritime survival and humanitarian medicine.

Bombard is known for one of history's most daring scientific experiments. As a young doctor, he was deeply affected by the number of shipwreck victims who died at sea, often in lifeboats filled with supplies. He theorized that many died of fright and dehydration, believing it was impossible to survive on seawater and fish. To disprove this, in nineteen fifty-two, he sailed alone across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to Barbados in a small rubber dinghy, "L'Hérétique" ("The Heretic"). The 65-day journey was undertaken without conventional supplies. He survived by drinking limited amounts of seawater, squeezing water from fish he caught, and eating plankton. His heroic, though controversial, experiment proved a vital psychological and physiological point: humans can survive for a long time at sea with the right knowledge and willpower. His book "The Voluntary Shipwreck" inspired revisions to international maritime survival guidelines and has saved countless lives.