Richard Van Pham
Encyclopedia
Richard Van Pham is a US citizen (originally from Vietnam
) who survived three and a half months adrift in the Pacific Ocean
from late May to September 2002.
, California
on 26-foot sailboat Sea Breeze (a Columbia 26 Mk I) heading for Catalina Island in late May 2002 - which should have taken about three hours. He lived on the boat in between fishing trips.
During the journey he claimed a sudden storm wrecked his mast and ruined his outboard motor
. It later transpired he did not have a working VHF radio
onboard his boat. As he had no family, and had not filed a float plan, he was not reported missing.
Pham said he had survived on fish and birds and drinking rain water caught in a five-gallon bucket. He had caught turtle
s and used meat to trap sea birds such as cormorant
s. Using evaporated sea water he was able to preserve the meat he caught.
Pham's boat did have solar-powered installed which allowed him to watch videos on a small television.
drug-hunting plane that alerted a US Navy frigate
McClusky to Pham's position and he was rescue on 17 September 2002. His boat was then 480 km (300 miles) off Costa Rica
and 4,000 km (2,500 miles) away from his starting point. Lieutenant Ron Flanders of the US Navy said: "When we got to him, he was grilling a seagull on a grill that he had, the fuel that he was using to cook was the wood from his own boat". Pham's weight had dropped while adrift but a medical aboard the McClusky concluded Pham was in pretty good shape considering his almost four months at sea.
The US Navy sank his boat and the crew of the McClusky paid for Pham to fly from Guatemala
(where he had been dropped off at Puerto Quetzal
) to Los Angeles
, arriving on 24 September 2002. He had on him his green card
travel document issued in 1976.
Vietnam
Vietnam – sometimes spelled Viet Nam , officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam – is the easternmost country on the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, Cambodia to the southwest, and the South China Sea –...
) who survived three and a half months adrift in the Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
from late May to September 2002.
Set adrift
62-year-old Pham set out from Long BeachLong Beach
-United States:*Long Beach, California, most populous city with this name**Long Beach Airport**Long Beach Naval Shipyard**Long Beach Search & Rescue**Long Beach Unified School District**Port of Long Beach*Long Beach, Indiana*Long Beach, Minnesota...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
on 26-foot sailboat Sea Breeze (a Columbia 26 Mk I) heading for Catalina Island in late May 2002 - which should have taken about three hours. He lived on the boat in between fishing trips.
During the journey he claimed a sudden storm wrecked his mast and ruined his outboard motor
Outboard motor
An outboard motor is a propulsion system for boats, consisting of a self-contained unit that includes engine, gearbox and propeller or jet drive, designed to be affixed to the outside of the transom and are the most common motorized method of propelling small watercraft...
. It later transpired he did not have a working VHF radio
VHF radio
VHF radio refers to several communications services in the VHF frequency range, including:* Airband aircraft radio* Amateur radio in the 6, 2 and 1-1/4 meter bands* FM radio broadcasts* Marine VHF radio...
onboard his boat. As he had no family, and had not filed a float plan, he was not reported missing.
Pham said he had survived on fish and birds and drinking rain water caught in a five-gallon bucket. He had caught turtle
Turtle
Turtles are reptiles of the order Testudines , characterised by a special bony or cartilaginous shell developed from their ribs that acts as a shield...
s and used meat to trap sea birds such as cormorant
Cormorant
The bird family Phalacrocoracidae is represented by some 40 species of cormorants and shags. Several different classifications of the family have been proposed recently, and the number of genera is disputed.- Names :...
s. Using evaporated sea water he was able to preserve the meat he caught.
Pham's boat did have solar-powered installed which allowed him to watch videos on a small television.
Rescue
He was initially found by a US Customs P-3 OrionP-3 Orion
The Lockheed P-3 Orion is a four-engine turboprop anti-submarine and maritime surveillance aircraft developed for the United States Navy and introduced in the 1960s. Lockheed based it on the L-188 Electra commercial airliner. The aircraft is easily recognizable by its distinctive tail stinger or...
drug-hunting plane that alerted a US Navy frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
McClusky to Pham's position and he was rescue on 17 September 2002. His boat was then 480 km (300 miles) off Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
and 4,000 km (2,500 miles) away from his starting point. Lieutenant Ron Flanders of the US Navy said: "When we got to him, he was grilling a seagull on a grill that he had, the fuel that he was using to cook was the wood from his own boat". Pham's weight had dropped while adrift but a medical aboard the McClusky concluded Pham was in pretty good shape considering his almost four months at sea.
The US Navy sank his boat and the crew of the McClusky paid for Pham to fly from Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
(where he had been dropped off at Puerto Quetzal
Puerto Quetzal
Puerto Quetzal is Guatemala's largest Pacific Ocean port. It is important for both cargo traffic and as a stop-off point for cruise liners.It is located in Escuintla department, alongside the city of Puerto San José, which it superseded as a port in importance to the country's maritime traffic...
) to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, arriving on 24 September 2002. He had on him his green card
Green Card
Green card may refer to:* Permanent residence , known informally as a green card* Green Card , a 1990 movie whose title refers to the American document above...
travel document issued in 1976.
Controversy
A number of sailing commentators have voiced concerns about the apparent length of Pham's period adrift. Pham insists he never saw a plane or another boat during his odyssey but given the busy nature of the California coast some people find this hard to believe as the area between Long Beach and Catalina Island is one of the busiest off the US coast.External links
- http://articles.sfgate.com/2002-09-25/news/17561809_1_costa-rica-navy-officials-boat/2
- http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/2282532.stm