Uploaded February 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
What would you to survive a shipwreck? On the ship Medusa, Captain Hugues Duroy de Chaumareys ferried a diplomatic mission to Senegal. While the most direct route might be the best in theory, shallow waters and hidden reefs around the Bay of Arguin presented a problem. That, combined with a cloud being confused for a land sighting, caused the Medusa to crash on 2nd July 1816. A poorly-timed storm forced those on board to abandon ship, and they fashioned a raft from the ship’s wood. Floating 20 metres above water, the Captain cut the ties to the lifeboats and left 150 people on the raft just floating…
What would you to survive a shipwreck? On the ship Medusa, Captain Hugues Duroy de Chaumareys ferried a diplomatic mission to Senegal. While the most direct route might be the best in theory, shallow waters and hidden reefs around the Bay of Arguin presented a problem. That, combined with a cloud being confused for a land sighting, caused the Medusa to crash on 2nd July 1816. A poorly-timed storm forced those on board to abandon ship, and they fashioned a raft from the ship’s wood. Floating 20 metres above water, the Captain cut the ties to the lifeboats and left 150 people on the raft just floating…
