5 Island strandings that ended in disaster
Being stranded on a remote island is a classic survival trope—but in real life, the outcome is often much darker. These five harrowing, true stories involve individuals or groups who found themselves isolated by the sea, unable to escape—and who ultimately died on the island itself. No rescue. No return. Just silence and sand.
1. The Clipperton Island Tragedy (1917)
A drawing of the island that featured in the La Princesse’s ship’s diary (1711)
Clipperton Island, a remote atoll in the eastern Pacific Ocean, became the site of a harrowing tragedy during the early 20th century. In 1906, Mexico established a military outpost on the island to assert its sovereignty, appointing Captain Ramón Arnaud as governor. By 1914, around 100 settlers, including men, women, and children, inhabited the island. However, the onset of the Mexican Revolution disrupted supply lines, leaving the inhabitants stranded without regular provisions.
As years passed without resupply, the settlers faced starvation and disease, particularly scurvy. In a desperate attempt to seek help, Captain Arnaud and three others set out in a canoe to intercept a passing ship but tragically drowned when their vessel capsized. With Arnaud gone, the lighthouse keeper, Victoriano Álvarez, declared himself “king” and subjected the remaining women to abuse and murder. His reign of terror ended when one of his victims, Tirza Rendón, killed him in self-defense. Shortly thereafter, in July 1917, a U.S. Navy ship rescued the surviving women and children, bringing an end to one of the most horrific episodes of isolation and survival.
2. The SS Dumaru Lifeboat Ordeal (1918)
In October 1918, the SS Dumaru, a wooden steamship built in Portland, Oregon, was struck by lightning off the coast of Guam during its maiden voyage. The lightning ignited the ship’s munitions cargo, leading to a catastrophic explosion that destroyed the vessel. The crew evacuated into two lifeboats and a raft; the raft, carrying five men including the captain, was rescued after nine days. However, the two lifeboats faced a grimmer fate.
One lifeboat, overcrowded with 32 men, drifted for approximately three weeks across the Pacific Ocean toward the Philippine Islands. With limited supplies, the men suffered from dehydration, exposure, and starvation. In desperation, they attempted to desalinate seawater using makeshift devices and resorted to consuming the bodies of deceased crewmates. After traveling over 1,200 miles, the lifeboat neared the Philippines, but rough surf caused it to capsize on a coral reef, resulting in additional deaths. Of the 32 men who set out, only 14 survived the ordeal.
3. The Batavia Shipwreck and Mutiny (1629)
In June 1629, the Dutch East India Company ship Batavia struck a reef in the Houtman Abrolhos Islands off the western coast of Australia. Approximately 300 survivors made it to nearby islands, including Beacon Island. The ship’s commander, Francisco Pelsaert, departed with a small group to seek help, leaving the remaining survivors under the control of Jeronimus Cornelisz, a senior officer with mutinous intentions.
Cornelisz seized control, disarmed the soldiers, and sent a group led by Wiebbe Hayes to a nearby island under the pretense of searching for water, expecting them to perish. Meanwhile, Cornelisz orchestrated a reign of terror, resulting in the murder of over 100 men, women, and children. Hayes and his group, having found water, learned of the atrocities and mounted a defense against Cornelisz’s men. When Pelsaert returned with a rescue ship, Hayes informed him of the mutiny, leading to the capture and execution of Cornelisz and several accomplices. The Batavia tragedy remains one of the most gruesome episodes in maritime history.
4. The Kianida Island Shipwreck (1902)
In 1902, a small Greek cargo vessel encountered a severe storm in the Aegean Sea, leading to its wreck near the uninhabited Kianida Island. The surviving sailors managed to reach the rocky, barren island but found themselves without shelter, fresh water, or means to signal for help. Over the ensuing weeks, the sailors succumbed to exposure and dehydration. Their remains were discovered months later by fishermen, serving as a grim reminder of the perils faced by mariners in the unforgiving Aegean Sea.
5. The Rakahanga Island Missionaries (1852)
In 1852, a group of Christian missionaries arrived on Rakahanga, one of the Cook Islands, with the intent of establishing a mission. Shortly after their arrival, a storm destroyed their only boat, leaving them stranded on the remote island. Although Rakahanga had some natural resources, the missionaries faced challenges adapting to the environment. Disease, likely introduced by the newcomers, spread rapidly, and without immunity or medical aid, all members of the mission perished within months. Their graves remain unmarked, and the island was subsequently abandoned, leaving behind a somber legacy of isolation and tragedy.
