BC Senior Trapped On A Raft In The Caribbean For 5 Days Survives By Eating Crackers & Nachos

He's now a big fan of Colombian Nachos.

Contributing Writer

A B.C. senior who was trapped on a raft in the Caribbean Sea for five-and-a-half days said he survived by eating crackers and nachos.

Don Cavers, 77, is originally from Blind Bay in B.C. and was sailing the breathtaking Caribbean Sea from Colombia to Puerto Rico and enjoying senior life on his boat.

All of the sudden, the boat started taking in water after it crashed into a reef. Cavers tried everything he could to empty the water out of the boat — but nothing seemed to work.

At around 160 km from shore, the boat started sinking and he knew he had to use the emergency life raft. He grabbed all the rations he could which included some crackers and nacho chips.

Cavers remained calm the whole time. “You basically just have to take it one thing at a time,” he told CTV News.

Despite nearly six days at sea, he said he remained confident that he would be rescued eventually. He even learned to catch fish for food as well as a little time passing hobby.

According to CBC, three days after the boat crash, he managed to get the locator beacon broadcasting again so that he could send a satellite message to international rescue teams.

They were able to identify him and he was located between Cuba and the coast of Mexico's Yucatán Peninsula.

Despite the life-threatening experience, and only eating crackers, nachos and some tiny fish, Cavers said he became extremely fond of the Colombian nacho chips. He told CTV that he hopes they start selling the Colombian nachos in B.C.

  • Ashley Harris (she/her) is a writer from Vancouver, Canada, who is passionate about discovering the best restaurants and activities in the city. A huge foodie, she has written for multiple print and digital magazines and is also a local foodie influencer.

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