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Thirty-eight days: A family adrift in the Pacific

Douglas Robertson was on a sailing trip around the world with his parents and siblings when their boat was attacked by orcas. Their adventure became a battle of survival.

Douglas was 16 years old when his parents sold the family farm in England and took him and his three siblings on a sailing trip around the world. It was the adventure of a lifetime. But in 1972 while en route to New Zealand, their yacht was hit by a pod of orcas and started to sink fast. Weeks from safety and with no way to send for help, Douglas and his family would have to find a way to survive.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: May Cameron
Editor: Andrea Kennedy
Sound engineer: Joel Cox

Get in touch: outlook@bbc.com or WhatsApp +44 330 678 2707

(Photo: The Robertson family. Credit: Douglas Robertson

Available now

41 minutes

Broadcasts

  • Mon 16 Oct 2023 11:06GMT
  • Mon 16 Oct 2023 17:06GMT
  • Mon 16 Oct 2023 21:06GMT
  • Tue 17 Oct 2023 02:06GMT

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Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

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