Douglas Robertson

It was falling apart anyway from the biting, constant biting of the fish from underneath.

And the fact that bellows, the inflation bellows had broken.

And I was having to blow it up by mouth.

And that constant blowing, I just couldn't keep it inflated.

We all took turns.

My mum took turns.

The twins took turns.

My dad did a bit of it.

Robin did a bit of it.

And we tried to keep the raft afloat, but we couldn't.

and it just gradually deteriorated.

And we were so wet, we were up to our chests in water inside the raft, because our bodies displaced their own weight in water.

So we were cold, we were wet, we were miserable, we were covered in seawater boils, we had the inflammation of foot.

It's like when you get in the bath for a long period of time, you get that crossword effect on your hands and feet.

It's like that on steroids, you know.

It cuts the blood supply off to your hands and feet.

And they go cold, you know, and you can't move them.

And that's because you're constantly immersed in water.

And the life on the raft was miserable.

And on the 17th day, we made this decision that we would leave the raft and go on the dinghy alone.