On September 20, 1994, Louise Longo, her husband, Bernard, and their five-year-old daughter, Gaëlla, left Rochefort, France, to go on a three-week cruise. On the night of October 5, a storm started in the dangerous Bay of Biscay. In the breaking seas, Bernard was afraid that the sailboat would sink and decided they would be safer in the liferaft. The Spanish coast was only 40 miles away; he was sure they would be rescued.
But fate was against them. They had hardly any food, very little water. No boat appeared. Bernard, who had been hurt getting into the raft, died on October 11. For two weeks, Louise fought hunger, thirst, and despair, trying to keep Gaëlla alive. But by the time rescue finally arrived, only Louise survived.
Louise Longo's terse words reflect the agony, guilt, and rage of the lone survivor who stands accused after her ordeal. More than a disaster story, 'Let Me Survive' is a lesson of life, a story more gripping than fiction.
