Susan Jankowski - True Ocean Rescue Stories

SURVIVAL ON THE SEA

A naval ship lost in battle, a vessel wrecked by an iceberg, and even a surfer rescued by a family of dolphins. These are some of the exciting tales of struggle and survival that will keep you on the edge of your seat. While reading the stories, you will also find out how to avert disaster, as well as the sacrifices made by the rescuers.

About the Author

Susan Jankowski is a writer, journalist, and educator. She is also a licensed falconer who participates in raptor research studies in Washington State.

French underwater explorer Jacques Yves Cousteau and engineer Emile Gagnan invented the Aqua-Lung, a compressed-air device for breathing underwater, in 1943. Today it is known as SCUBA gear; these letters stand for self-contained underwater breathing apparatus.

Cape Disappointment is at the southwest corner of Washington State. The U.S. Coast Guard responds to 400 distress calls per year here. Coast Guard rescue teams have nicknamed the spot Cape D.

To make a waterway safer for ships to pass through, engineers use special equipment to scoop up mud, rocks, or sand from its bottom. This is called dredging.

The U.S. Department of Defense created the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). It became available for use by citizens in the early 1980s. Since then sailors and pilots have been able to use Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for navigation. The U.S. Air Force now controls this satellite.

During the past five years, African pirates have taken ship captains hostage off the coast of Somalia, in the Gulf of Aden, and also in the Indian Ocean. They hold the hostages for ransom money. Naval ships from the United States, Canada, France, and other countries are patrolling the area to try to protect the ships from pirates.

A jetty is a wall built out into the water to slow the current to help ships pass through an area.

A sailor, or seaman, is also called a mariner. Maritime means having to do with the sea.

For a half-century, specially trained Navy Seals have risked their lives to destroy underwater mines, prepare areas for an attack, or spy to gather information on the enemy. They are some of the most skilled divers in the world.

Ships in the air and at sea can send out radio waves to find the location and distance of other ships and objects using radar systems. The term radar comes from the words, Radio Direction and Ranging.

Sharks can mistake a person on a surfboard for a sea lion, which is one of the animals they hunt. There are about five great white shark attacks each year across the globe.

A sonar device locates other ships or objects by sending out sound waves that bounce back to it. It is especially useful in locating submarines.

Mariners learned from the mistakes made by the builders and crew of the Titanic, which sunk in the Atlantic Ocean. Among the most important lessons is that a ship must have enough lifeboat seats for every passenger on board.

On a clear, summer day in 1545, French raiders approached the English Isle of Wight. King Henry Tudor VIII expected the crew of the Mary Rose to use its ships awesome firepower to stop the French attack. With fanfare, the king arrived at his Southsea Castle in Portsmouth to watch his favorite ship set sail for another battle with the French. The water was calm because there was no wind. But this causes problems for sailing vessels, which need moving air to push them forward.

About one mile out to sea, the Mary Rose faced enemy fire. Upon her firing at the French, water flooded into the Mary Roses open gun ports. Her lower deck quickly took on water. From atop his castle one mile away, King Henry watched in horror as his prized ship began to sink!

On board, the ship was mayhem. The Mary Rose had been overloaded with supplies, extra sailors, and large guns called cannon. This made it hard for sailors to move around as the ship took on water. It also made the ship heavier and less likely to stay afloat.

Some of the sailors were from other countries like Spain and did not speak English. This meant the crew could not talkor shoutinformation to each other to try to stop the ship from sinking. They were likely yelling things such as, Close the ports! Stop the water! but in different languages. Crew members couldnt understand what their shipmates were saying.

Sailors were trapped beneath nets that had been stretched out on the lower decks to keep enemies from sneaking on board. As the water poured in, frantic sailors clawed at these nets to try to escape. Only this caused them to become more tangled in the nets.

Worst of all, most of the sailors did not know how to swim. Four centuries ago, people did not always make it a point to learn. In fact, many sailors avoided it. What the sea wants, the sea will have, is an old saying. Back then, people believed that there was never a good reason to go into the water; it was always best to avoid it. To jump into the water to learn how to swim would be risking your life, they felt. You would be testing your fate!

A shocked King Henry watched from his castle as seven hundred people drowned in the Atlantic Ocean. Still, about thirty people survived! These lucky folks were on the upper deck when the ship began to sink. As the waves of the Atlantic swallowed the deck, they were able to climb onto the ships towers. They hung on to the towers with all their might while listening to the screams of shipmates perishing on the decks below.

One of the highest ranking officers on the Mary Rose was Vice Admiral Sir George Carew. His uncle, Sir Gawain Carew, was on a nearby sister ship as the Mary Rose began to sink. Sir Gawain later wrote in his journal about the day the Mary Rose went down.

After he learned the Mary Rose was taking on water, Sir Gawain called out to his nephew. George! George! The sound of his voice mixed with mens shouts over the roar of the ocean.

Soon it became clear that things were dire. Sir Gawain asked his nephew what was happening.

They are the sort of knaves whom I cannot rule! George had called back to his uncle. This meant crew members didnt know what to do to save the shipor themselves. That was the last time the two men ever spoke. That evening, Sir George was pulled underwater by the force of the mighty Atlantic.

To the people on the towers, it must have seemed like a long time until their sister ship could get close enough to the Mary Rose to pull them out. What a relief it was to be pulled from the waves by their mates!

From the top of his castle on shore, King Henry must have felt helpless as he watched the sea swallow up his beloved Mary Rose. His servants must have also had a hard time watching hundreds of people, unable to swim, vanish beneath the waves.

Henry Tudor was only eighteen when he was crowned King Henry VIII. This meant he became head of Englands army and navy and its fleet of ships. Since England was at war with France, he felt it was best to build up the countrys military. This meant building new ships for battles at sea. The king had paid special attention to the Mary Rose.

As a young man, King Henry was handsome, charming, and strong. He threw grand parties. He danced with ladies of high society to songs he wrote himself. He was a good athlete and liked to play sports. He held many tennis, hunting, archery, and jousting contests. In the early years of his reign, the young king seemed to enjoy his rule.

By the time he was in his fifties, King Henrys life was not so carefree. Years of eating too much had made him overweight. At the time of the