The relentless tropical sun beats down on Terry Jo’s parched, salt encrusted skin; there’s no relief. Most of the time she keeps her eyes closed, it’s too bright, the glinting waves make her dizzy and the salt water stings. It’s been 4 days since the Bluebelle, the sailboat she had been aboard with her family, sank.
Terry Jo drifts in and out of consciousness, listlessly reclining on a flimsy 3 foot (.9 meter) oblong cork raft as it bobs on the pitching waves. The tiny raft wasn’t designed for prolonged usage; some of the rope webbing has given way, it’s beginning to disintegrate.
Terry Jo hallucinates; a great big rumbling whale is looming over her. Suddenly the whale turns into a solid black wall and amazed faces stare down. The crew of a Greek Freighter, the Captain Theo, are shocked to spot a young girl adrift in a raft. One of the sailors takes an iconic photograph of Terry Jo perched on her tiny raft in the huge ocean.
