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CNN Live Today
Rescue at Sea: Alone and Adrift
Aired September 25, 2002 - 10:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of fishing,...
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
HARRIS: ... I bet Lech Walesa has nothing on this next guy we're going to talk about.
KAGAN: Yes, you want a fishing show.
HARRIS: You want this guy.
This guy, incredibly, remarkable drama that played out on high seas centers around one man who says that he set out for a brief one- day trip that turned into a nearly four-month-long ordeal.
Jennifer Sabih (ph) of our affiliate KCBS now with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD VAN PHAM, RESCUED: God saved me so I'm here.
JENNIFER SABIH, KCBS-TV REPORTER (voice-over): For Van Pham, God is the only explanation for how he survived adrift at sea by himself on his 26-foot broken sailboat with no food and no water for three- and-a-half months.
VAN PHAM: I ate a lot of fish and water -- where's water.
SABIH: And when the fish weren't biting and the sea turtles were scarce, the seagulls who roosted on the bow became fair game.
VAN PHAM: No nothing, no fish, no turtle, had to catch a bird. The bird tastes not too good.
SABIH: It was back in June, Van Pham set sail from Long Beach to Catalina Island 25 miles away, but he says a strong wind broke his mast and busted his outbound motor and left him at the mercy of the sea. A Navy warship spotted him just last week. He was off the coast of Costa Rica.
CAPTAIN JERRY BRAGG, U.S. NAVY: It's very unbelievable. I mean the fact that the individual was forced to survive on his own wits, eating sea turtle and birds and capturing rain water, is just a phenomenal story of survival.
VAN PHAM: When I see the ship, help me, no -- survival.
SABIH (on camera): What did you miss the most?
VAN PHAM: I miss mostly TV.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: He missed TV.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: When you're dining on all that sea turtle, how could you worry about TV?
HARRIS: I don't know, I guess -- great story. Van Pham's sailboat was so badly damaged that officials had to sink it and that left him with no place to live.
KAGAN: Yes, but you suggested now he's going to sell his story. He'll go back to Hollywood, sell his story, go buy a yacht or something.
HARRIS: Exactly. Oh you know he will.
KAGAN: Yes.
HARRIS: That's before the movie comes out because you know he's going to make a ton of money on that.
KAGAN: Absolutely.
Thanks to KCBS for that story.
HARRIS: Yes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired September 25, 2002 - 10:27 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LEON HARRIS, CNN ANCHOR: Speaking of fishing,...
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Yes.
HARRIS: ... I bet Lech Walesa has nothing on this next guy we're going to talk about.
KAGAN: Yes, you want a fishing show.
HARRIS: You want this guy.
This guy, incredibly, remarkable drama that played out on high seas centers around one man who says that he set out for a brief one- day trip that turned into a nearly four-month-long ordeal.
Jennifer Sabih (ph) of our affiliate KCBS now with the details.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
RICHARD VAN PHAM, RESCUED: God saved me so I'm here.
JENNIFER SABIH, KCBS-TV REPORTER (voice-over): For Van Pham, God is the only explanation for how he survived adrift at sea by himself on his 26-foot broken sailboat with no food and no water for three- and-a-half months.
VAN PHAM: I ate a lot of fish and water -- where's water.
SABIH: And when the fish weren't biting and the sea turtles were scarce, the seagulls who roosted on the bow became fair game.
VAN PHAM: No nothing, no fish, no turtle, had to catch a bird. The bird tastes not too good.
SABIH: It was back in June, Van Pham set sail from Long Beach to Catalina Island 25 miles away, but he says a strong wind broke his mast and busted his outbound motor and left him at the mercy of the sea. A Navy warship spotted him just last week. He was off the coast of Costa Rica.
CAPTAIN JERRY BRAGG, U.S. NAVY: It's very unbelievable. I mean the fact that the individual was forced to survive on his own wits, eating sea turtle and birds and capturing rain water, is just a phenomenal story of survival.
VAN PHAM: When I see the ship, help me, no -- survival.
SABIH (on camera): What did you miss the most?
VAN PHAM: I miss mostly TV.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
KAGAN: He missed TV.
(LAUGHTER)
KAGAN: When you're dining on all that sea turtle, how could you worry about TV?
HARRIS: I don't know, I guess -- great story. Van Pham's sailboat was so badly damaged that officials had to sink it and that left him with no place to live.
KAGAN: Yes, but you suggested now he's going to sell his story. He'll go back to Hollywood, sell his story, go buy a yacht or something.
HARRIS: Exactly. Oh you know he will.
KAGAN: Yes.
HARRIS: That's before the movie comes out because you know he's going to make a ton of money on that.
KAGAN: Absolutely.
Thanks to KCBS for that story.
HARRIS: Yes.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
