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Swimming with Sharks: Navy Physician Remembers the Indianapolis Disaster
- marcelftw 8y agoI don't get it ... from the intro it seems the shark took away living human down in the water. From the conclusion, it seems the shark only bite the dead humans floating with the living human. Not even "taking them" ... a weird read.
- lawlessone 8y agoThe bit at the start is the editors note that seems to be wrong.
- Waterluvian 8y agoThe editor's note reminds us of a story told in a movie. The interview concludes with a testimony that it didn't happen that way.
- speg 8y agoThe editors note at the beginning also asks: "But what is the real story?"
- mosselman 8y agoI thought the same and was tense until the end, expecting at any moment a description of living people getting dragged away by sharks.
- shams93 8y agoIt makes sense, humans are not normal food for sharks. However once you're dead you're just floating meat in the water, the shark can take you without risking any injury to itself. Sharks are more intelligent than we generally assume, most shark attacks are not to eat people, they take a chunk out of a person by mistake.
- mannykannot 8y agoI'm not sure that it is quite that clear-cut - if you are vaguely seal-shaped, and furthermore not moving with the speed and agility of a healthy seal, you might push a big shark's 'looks like food' button. Staying together in a big, tight group might have been key.
- 11235813213455 8y agoThere's a "But what is the real story?" happy to see some real and not deformed story about sharks
- rolal 8y agoThis is the second in a series of three articles. The first and third parts are http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/9200 http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/9200 and http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/9242 http://navymedicine.navylive.dodlive.mil/archives/9242 They are all worth reading.
- RickJWagner 8y agoWow. Unimagineable. I hope we never have such a war again.
- olivermarks 8y ago+1
- djbelieny 8y agoWe won't. If any new conflict actually escalates to the proportions of a world war it'll be much much worse than the world wars of the past, it'll be a thermonuclear holocaust, an extinction scale event. Apparently, we as a species, have learned nothing.
- joekrill 8y agoI don't suppose there's any way to listen to the audio of these? Is it public? Or online? All of the "oral history" links are 404s.
- michaelcampbell 8y agoI wonder how many people were introduced to this story from that scene in "Jaws"...
- joshstrange 8y agoDear god, the scrolling is breakneck due to some stupid JS plugin or something
- KnightOfWords 8y agoA truly disturbing yet essential read. Sounds like the reports of shark attacks on the living were greatly exaggerated, but its no wonder if men were hallucinating from dehydration and fever.
- GurnB 8y agoI recommend the following book that details the U.S.S. Indianapolis. In Harm's Way: The Sinking of the U.S.S. Indianapolis and the Extraordinary Story of Its Survivors by Doug Stanton (Mass Market Paperback)
- sizzzzlerz 8y agoSharks or no, it still had to be pretty terrifying to be floating in the ocean without knowing when or if you were going to be rescued. But, like most stories taken from actual events, there always seems to be a person or persons who step up to help others without regard to their own well-being. I hope Capt. Haynes received recognition for his efforts in keeping so many alive.
- joshuaheard 8y agoI read recently that Steven Spielberg wanted to make Jaws 2 about the U.S.S. Indianapolis, but the studio took the series in another direction so he quit.
- pcunite 8y agoA word of mouth documentary: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0ULKCM https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M0ULKCM Also this survivor has a website of the event http://indysurvivor.com http://indysurvivor.com