Jim Cooper’s Story
This is Jim Cooper’s Story. It’s a great story about a man who fell overboard in the China Sea. Jim is a member of the Vindicatrix Association Severn Area Branch and was a Master Mariner.
Rescue
H. Caine, Third Mate of the British cargo ship ‘Rossetti’ on route from Panama to Inchon, Korea was troubled. He drummed his fingers on the bridge rail oblivious to the Sun-lit sea gliding by. Should he disturb the Old Man at his breakfast? On the one hand the Ordinary Seaman’s story was preposterous but on the other what if were true? With a sigh he picked up the phone – a junior officers‘ life was full of pitfalls.
When the Captain appeared he was as the Third Mate had feared, not in the best of moods. ”What “, be growled “is so important in mid-ocean that it could not wait until I had finished my breakfast?”
Before the Third Mate could formulate a reply, Ordinary Seaman Roman Procyk blurted “You’ve got to turn the ship round Sir, there is a man in the water and we are getting further away all the time!“
The Third Male said “I’ve tried to explain, Sir, this is way out in the China Sea, people just don’t float about out here but Roman won’t listen, I thought it best to call you.
Upon close questioning it turned out that Peanuts (for such was Roman’s nick name) had been sent at 0800 hours to do some painting up on the focsul. He confessed that he had not started because he had been leaning over the port side fascinated by some dolphins playing around the bow. Th.at was when he heard a man’s voice shouting “HELP”. No he hadn’t seen anybody, but he had heard shouting and would we please stop wasting time and turn the ship around?
The Captain asked Caine if he had heard anything. He said not but there had been a couple of hands larking about on the poop, perhaps Peanuts has beard them?
The Captain then questioned Radio Operator Mike Jackson but there was no radio traffic concerning any man overboard nor any reports of missing fishing or yachts.
Peanuts was becoming more and more agitated in his desperate attempts to persuade somebody to do something. No, he was certain he bad not heard anyone on the ship, the voice had come from the sea and we are getting further and further away. PLEASE PLEASE DO SOMETHING!
The Captain looked hard at Peanuts and said “it is most unlikely that anybody is out there, especially as there is no radio traffic, but if you insist, I will turn the ship around. Please think on, nrrning the ship will cost the Owners about £1000 for each hour we expend on a search. Well Roman what do you say?”
Peanuts blinked, paused and then drew a deep breath “I heard him Sir. Please tum the ship round.” The Captain considered for a moment longer and then said “Very well, put the ship about Third Mate.
A Williamson Turn was then executed (a method for putting a ship back on a reciprocal course) and orders flew thick and fast. Peanuts was put on the wheel which was then switched from auto to manual mode. The Engine Room was placed on standby. Chief Mate Madge, in his turn, had his breakfast interrupted with orders to pick a crew and prepare the starboard boat for launching. Second Mate Avenin had his sleep interrupted (even worse) in order to con the ship back on its tracks. The Radio Operator was instructed to broadcast ship’s intentions and then to scan the airways for any responses. Finally, Purser Kawinski was told to prepare the ship’s Hospital for reception of one(or more?) patients.
Leaving the bridge in the capable hands of the Second Mate, the Captain slipped away for a quiet word with Chief Engineer Wakin.shaw, not only a valued colleague but a friend of long standing.
After hearing the reason for all the uproar, “Surely” asked·the Chief: “You are not doing all this on the say so of a first trip Ordinary Seaman still wet behind the ears?”
“Not entirely Hany” replied the Captain, “even though the lad is very convincing, also a fisherman may have gone down in the night though there is no radio traffic to support that possibility. However after 18 days at sea, a Search and Rescue exercise seems like a good idea, it will be a welcome break and good for morale, even if we don’t find anyone.” The Captain turned to leave, adding over his shoulder, “Harry don’t forget to send an engineer to man the motor boat.”
Back on the bridge the Second Mate reported Five minutes to speed reduction, starboard boat cleared for launching, experienced AB on the helm. Two Cadets and Peanuts on look-out with binoculars.
The R/O reported that he had broadcast ship’s position and intentions, no relevant radio traffic heard.
The ship was now estimated by the Second Mate to be only three miles from the position where Peanuts had heard the voice. The Captain instructed the boys to keep the binoculars on a steady sweep search, each in his own sector and if anything is seen report at once but do not take your eyes off the target for one second. There was a chop on the water and losing sight for an instant makes it very difficult to pick the target up again.
Now the ship was almos( still in the water, an hour and a half had elapsed since the hearing, 10 miles North then 10 miles south. All being well mused the Captain, if he’s out there, he should be square on the port beam about a mile distant. The Captain was already wondering how long he should continue the search especially with such improbable cause – viewed from a shore side desk.
Thence a yell from an excited Cadet as he spotted the man, much to relief of the Captain, his dilemma resolved.
The lifeboat was launched. The Mate was seen to be having considerable difficulty conning the boat in what looked, from 60 feet high bridgedeck, to be fairly smooth water. However guided by walkie talkie directions, he was soon alongside the target and.his crew could be seen hoisting a body out of the water.
Bearing in mind the possibility that there might be other survivors, the Captain directed the Second Mate to query the Chief Mate, who replied “He says he is alone.” The Captain persisted” how can the Mate be so certain that the man is alone?” The Second Mate smoothly relayed the answer “Becausehe speaks English.” “Proceed to the Boat Deck “snapped the Captain – to cover his faux pas(hadn’t Peanuts insisted all along that his voice had shouted HELP) “and stand-by to recover the boat.”
So three hours after the alarm had been raised, the ship was snugged down and once more on course towards Inchon. An exhausted David Goldberg had been put to bed, with hot soup, in the hospital. He had promptly fallen asleep so all hands had to contain their curiosity until he awoke some 6 hours later.
David was, it appeared, an American Seaman. His ship had sailed from Inchon 4 days earlier, loaded with among other things, a deck cargo of timber reaching some 8 feet above the main deck guard rails. He had been relieved on the bridge at 0400 hrs and was making his way aft to turn in when he noticed that a lashing securing the timber had worked loose. As he walked across the top of the timber to set the rigging screw tight he tripped and fell overboard. No one saw him fall and the ship went on oblivious to his cries.
After awhile the Sun rose and he was, he realised, alone in a vast ocean. He took off his jeans, tied knots in the legs, blew them up and used them as water wings. He kept himself afloat all day in this manner. Towards evening the wind picked up and in the buffeting, he lost his jeans. He grew colder
and colder as the night wore on. He swam a little to warm up, floated a little when he was tired and then swam to warm up again, thirst and a growing sense of despair sapping his courage.
His second dawn in the water came slowly but at least the sun warmed him a little. He was actually looking for a seabird to capture when he realised that a ship was approaching. Shecame so close that he could clearly read the name ROSSETTI painted on her bow. He waved frantically and screamed HELP over and over again, but the ship moved steadily by and dwindled unheedingly in the distance.
He was devastated. If he could not be seen when he was so close, then he was finished. Black despair and rage possessed him. Taking a last withering glance at the ship, which was now hull down on the horizon he realised that there was a difference in her silhouette. At first be could not believe his eyes but sure enough her aspect was changing, the hull elongating and then fore shortening- SHE WAS TURNING, now her bows were pointing directly at him. What had taken the so long? Now she was launching a boat. He did not remember much more until he awoke in a glorious bed. Although covered in salt water sores he made rapid recovery and was in good physical condition when he left the vessel at Inchon.
This is a remarkable survival story. A story of a man determined to live, who survived thirty hours, yes thirty, of heat, cold, thirst, hunger and exhaustion in a rough shark infested sea, supported some of the time by his jeans and the rest of the time by his iron will.
This is also a remarkable rescue story. Had Roman not been sent to work that morning on the focsul head, had he been working instead of hanging over the side watching the dolphin playing, had the ship been a mere hundred yards further East in all that vast sea, then David’s cries for help would never have been heard. Had a seventeen year old Junior Ordinary Seaman not had the courage of his convictions and stood firm in the face of the open scepticism of his superiors, the Captain would not have turned the ship round. Had the ship not got back to the exact spot then David would have watched the ship cast futilely about, until the Captain decided that Roman had dreamed the whole story and resumed the voyage. That would have been devastating.
Although the American Authorities held an Inquiry there was never a satisfactory explanation as to why no radio warnings were broadcast of neither David being missing nor why the ship failed to search for him when he was finally missed which would have been noon next day at the latest.
All this happened in 1977 and shows that truth, upon occasion, can be stranger than fiction.
The above narrative was from Capt. John Parsloe who was not just a colleague but a friend. I sailed with him several times as first Mate then when I was Master we took over the ship from each other from time to time. Sadly John ‘crossed the bar’ recently. I was very familiar with the ROSSETTI as I was supervisor for the vessel when it was getting built. Roman sailed with me and by one of those coincidences of life he moved to the next village to me when I lived in Oxon. Sheila arranged a reunion with John & Peanuts plus a local reporter and the rescue story appeared in the Bucks Free Press. Roman now works for Thames Valley Police. David Goldberg became a missionary and went to work in the Philippines. Roman keeps in touch with him.
A truly remarkable story of survival.
Jim Cooper
DAVID GOLDBERG
Readers of the Vindi Severn Area Website will probably have seen the article on the rescue of David Goldberg. After David returned to the States he wrote back to the ship explaining the circumstances and method of his survival. The letter uses quite ‘matter of fact language’ for what must have been a terrible ordeal. When the Rossetti’s crew initially appeared not to have seen him it must have been devastating, he just described it as disappointing . He also came near to drowning and his description of having his stomach filled with water is obviously the initial stage of what must be a horrible death.
Herewith a transcript of his letter. He gave his address and that of his parents at the bottom of the letter. Those of you geographically minded the incident occurred at lat.33*51′ N. long125* 1S’E. The island mentioned in the letter would have been ‘Sho Kokuzanto’ a small island off the south west point of South Korea.
Dear Sirs,
I write to you in showing gratitude to Master John Parsloe and his crew of the m/v Rossetti (for whom I owe my life) to explain the details that led to my mishap and eventual rescue.
I have been an American Merchant Mariner for about eight years. On Aug 2nd, 1977 I was working as AB on the SS Joseph Hewes (an American flagged vessel owned by Waterman Steamship Co. Of New York). I was relieved from the wheel watch about 0400 that morning and, rather than retire immediately, took a walk back towards the stern of the ship for some fresh air. The deck of the ship could be described as an obstacle course with large cargo (steel tanks, locomotives etc) lashed all over. A catwalk was built on the starboard side for walking up and down the deck. While I was back aft, on the stern of the ship I heard some slight shifting of cargo on deck. I located the source of trouble and with the aid of a piece of wood dunnage (for leverage) I tightened down the turnbuckles on the lashings. Checking still further, for any more signs of trouble, I climbed on top of the cargo to have a better look. Seeing as everything was fit I started climbing down the outboard side of the cargo when the ship took a slight, but sudden, roll. Having been no previous rolls to my knowledge, it came totally unexpected to me. I lost my balance and went clean overboard. If there had been a pipe railing around this part of the ship I might possibly have grabbed a hold but the rail consisted of welded steel plate with an inboard lip, and my hands slid helplessly down until I was completely clear of the ship.
I hit the water hard with my feet and legs first, which later became painful and swollen giving me much trouble with my swimming. I estimate that the time of the accident was about 0430. I was not harmed by the propeller but I swallowed so much water in the ship’s wake that my stomach seemed to be bursting apart with pain. I was soon vomiting, excreting and urinating pure salt water in a state of semi-conciseness I don’t recall much after that until the sun rose. I guess I must have been treading water that dark period. The water was warm and fairly calm with only a slight swell. As the sun rose higher I was able to see a lot of water but no land. I treaded water mostly during that morning until after a few hours I saw a ship on the horizon to the west heading in a northerly direction. I yelled and waved in vain until the ship disappeared but began swimming towards the path of the ship. Other ships passed on the horizon but with the same vain results. I was having some trouble swimming and staying afloat so I managed to unlace my boots and let them sink. I removed my socks and tied them together and around my head to keep my hair from getting in my eyes. I took my pants off, managed to tie the legs in knots and with some trouble raised them out of the water to form an air pocket inside them. It didn’t work very well and I was given only two or three minutes to rest my hurting legs before it deflated. I tried again and again but couldn’t get the knots in the legs tight enough to stop the air from leaking out. Finally I was too exhausted to lift the pant anymore so I let them sink. I tried the same with my tee shirt but that was a complete failure. All I had left at that point was my watch, which kept running during the whole ordeal, and my glasses both of which became invaluable to me.
In the afternoon the wind picked up, blowing to the North and soon the swells started to grow in size. I tried swimming a number of strokes but only the breast stroke allowed me to swim without swallowing too much water. It also proved less painful to my feet and legs. Floating on my back was impossible but by doing a jellyfish float (sticking my head in the water and pulling my knees up to my chest) I could hold my breath and float on my stomach thereby giving my legs a rest periodically.
Later in the day, towards sunset, I spotted an island towards the northwest first recognisable by the dark clouds over it. It seemed extremely far distant, possibly as much as fifteen miles away. It had two high peaks which is how I account for seeing it at such a distance. With renewed effort I swam in its direction using breast stroke, under water beneath the swells, mainly, which was the only way I could make progress without being forcefully turned around by the swells. The wind picked up creating ever increasing periods of turmoil in which all I could do was to go into a ‘jellyfish’ float to keep from swallowing water.
As it grew dark I located the North Star and fixed the island’s position in relation to it so that I could head in that direction through the night. Many times during the night I found myself turned around and swimming in the opposite direction. Even darker than the sky the water became jet black with one exception. As my arms stroked though the water, phosphorescent plankton ignited into blue and green stars of light which danced around my body giving me a strange feeling. After several hours of this I must have gone in a trance, partly due to my exhaustion, and I suddenly came to under water swallowing large amounts of the sea and feeling the bursting pain I had before when this had happened. Again I was able to recover after my body rid itself of all the water.
I noted the time of sunrise as being about 0600. During the night I had lost my headband so I found it difficult to keep sight of the island. The steady increase in swells and their force allowed me a glance at the island only once every few minutes providing I took the time and energy to push the hair out of my eyes and swim up a crest as far as I could before it washed over me. Mostly I just kept an eye on certain cloud formations in the general direction of the island.
I found that the island instead of being northwest of me as on the previous day was about due west of me and maybe nine or ten miles away. The wind and surface current had been pushing me steadily northward and even though I was much closer, the fear of passing north of the island altogether was a reality. Swimming northwest was a problem but swimming due west was almost an impossibility as I was now swimming in the trough with breaking swells crashing down on me almost constantly. I would swim under water for a way then, while I rested treading water, I would be pushed north as far as I progressed west. I was beginning to wonder if any benefit would be obtained by swimming to the island. Would I be smashed against the rocks? Naturally there would be more food for more fish. Would I be entering a shark haven?
I had seen little of fish, only one large one which was chasing something else and some small flying fish. Sea birds distracted me from swimming by taking dives at my head. On the second day I paid them little mind but I started hoping that one would fly close enough so that I could grab it and obtain some nourishment. Once I did grab hold of a tiny reed and although I chewed upon it, it was dried out and a disappointment.
After seeing maybe ten or eleven ships during my time in the water and waving and yelling in vain, the most I was hoping for was to catch hold of a piece of dunnage or garbage which I could hold onto for arrest. No doubt that there were ships which passed which I didn’t see because there were some which I did see only after having my head in the water and hearing some vibrations which was the case with mv Rossetti.
The mv Rossetti was overtaking me and I didn’t even know it until my head went under water and I felt the vibrations. Looking up it was right on my starboard beam. I saved my sore arms untiI was up on a crest. She was the closest of any, about half a mile, and I could easily make out her name. She passed me by quickly and soon grew small on the horizon. I felt disappointed but decided to swim towards her wake to search for something afloat. After some time I was able to look west and to my amazement I saw the Rossetti’s port side. When her bow turned towards me I knew that I had been spotted.
She stopped; I estimated about two miles to the southwest of me. By ducking my head under and putting my knees against my chest, held by one arm, I could wave the other arm towards the ship without swallowing much water. This along with screaming helped somewhat I think in my rescue. A motor driven lifeboat was launched from their starboard side and I was soon located and pulled in out of the water. I was not only gladdened but surprised at the speed and efficiency of my rescue.
To Master John Parsloe, the Officers and Crew of the London– registered mv Rossetti I owe my life. To them I also thank them for their wonderful care, hospitality and uplifting spirit during my stay on board the Rossetti. To Ordinary Seaman ‘Peanut ‘ Procyk who heard, saw and reported me I am forever thankful.
In lncheon, Korea I was placed in the care of the Tong Jin Shipping Agency, spending five days in a hospital there treated for exposure then flown to my home.
I will never forget you my brothers. If you should venture west you will have a home and hospitality.
My warmest appreciation,
Dave Goldberg
Captain John Parsloe Rescue ship Captain, the reporter from the Bucks paper Captain Jim Cooper, and Roman Procyk the seaman who heard David Goldberg shout.
