Ada Blackjack – 2 years alone

Time stranded: 2 years

Distance traveled: Minimal

Terrain types: Island, Arctic

Deaths: 4

Situation ended: Rescue by friendly vessel

Location: Wrangel islands

Ada Blackjack was an Alaskan native that belonged to the Iñupiat people. She had lived her entire life in the extreme weather of the Alaska wilderness and was well versed in how to survive in such a climate, so when Canadian explorers Vilhjalmur Stefansson and Allan Crawford tried to lead an expedition to the Wrangel islands she seemed like someone worth taking along. She was initially hired as a seamstress and cook for the group, with her ability to cope in the climate being of second importance.

The purpose of the expedition was to lay claim to the islands in the name of Canada, and after a short trip, the group made it to the island with no problems en route. Five members of the group remained on the island as a claim to the territory, hoping to beat Russia to it, which even though they did the islands now belong to the latter.

The expedition ship left the Wrangel islands on the 15th of September, 1921, and Ada was left alone with the 4 crew members, but things quickly made a turn for the worse. The rations they brought with them soon ran low, and one of the members became gravely ill.

The three other members of the group decided to venture out and see if they could find a village or signal a ship somehow, but leaving Ada and the sick crew member was the last time they were seen alive, believed to have frozen to death trying to find help. At this point, Ada was now alone with the remaining member who soon died from his illness.

Ada came from a very poor family from a very poor village and was used to doing everything for herself and surviving with the bare minimum, and already being used to the climate she had a massive advantage. She survived mostly on seal meat, as fishing through the ice was a huge amount of work and red seal meat can be eaten raw. She would hunt every few days and with the ability to freeze food, she made it last as long as possible as nuts and other edible plants were exceptionally rare.

After two years on the island she was finally rescued after being spotted by a ship and although somewhat worse for wear, was otherwise unharmed. She hated the media surrounding the event and didn’t benefit from the subsequent publications about the expedition. She died at the age of 85 and was buried in Anchorage, Alaska.