Jennifer Appel, Tasha Fuiaba, and their two canine companions, Zeus and Valentine, had been stuck on a crippled boat floating in the Pacific Ocean for months, unsure if they would ever be rescued. Regardless of how hopeless the people on board may have felt at times, they made certain the puppies survived as well.
CREDIT: U.S. NAVY
CREDIT: U.S. NAVY
Last May, Appel and Fuiaba set sail from Hawaii on a 2,700-mile journey to Tahiti — but it didn’t take long for them to run into difficulty. By the end of that month, they were already hundreds of miles away when the boat’s engine stopped during a strong storm; still, they continued, believing they could finish the route by sailing. Things, on the other hand, just grew worse. Later, the mast upon which they were dependent was destroyed, leaving them stranded.
Appel and Fuiaba issued a distress call over the following 98 days, but to no avail. On the 99th day, a Taiwanese fishing vessel spotted them and contacted the USS Ashland, a US Navy ship on normal patrol in the area.
Here’s a video of the moment Appel, Fuiaba and their two dogs finally knew they were safe.
The whole crew on the stranded boat escaped because Appel and Fuiaba had planned ahead of time. The ship had a water filtering system, and they’d carried more food than they anticipated they’d need. Even so, by the time they were discovered, it was runing dangerously low.
“We assumed we’d need at least six months’ worth of food, so we packed at least six.” “Later, Appel informed Navy personnel. “I figured if we were sensible with our supplies, we’d be good for a year. And after six months, we’ve used 90 percent of them.”
CREDIT: U.S. NAVY
CREDIT: U.S. NAVY
It was later found that one of the reasons their food supply appeared to be reduced so quickly was because they were sharing their rations with the dogs.
“We ran out of dog food,” Appel said. “And it turns out that the dogs really prefer human food.”
“A lot,” Fuiaba said again.
Even the crew’s canine members survived to recount their tragic story as a result of their sacrifice, which left Appel and Fuiaba at risk of starving had help arrived any later.
CREDIT: U.S. NAVY
Appel stated of their rescuers, “They saved our lives.” “The relief and pride we felt when we spotted the [US Navy] on the horizon was pure relief.”