"Poon Lim was a Chinese sailor who was working as a steward on board the British merchant ship SS Benlomond during World War II. On November 23, 1942, while the ship was en route from Cape Town, South Africa, to Paramaribo, Suriname, it was torpedoed by a German U-boat. Poon Lim managed to grab an 8 square foot wooden raft before the ship sank and used it as a survival tool for the next 133 days.

During his ordeal, Poon Lim faced extreme weather conditions, hunger, thirst, and the constant threat of shark attacks. He had to resort to desperate measures to survive, including drinking the blood of turtles and fish that he caught with his bare hands. He also used a fishing line made from the threads of his shirt to catch more fish.

At one point, Poon Lim encountered a shark that he managed to kill by hitting it repeatedly with a jug of water. He then used the shark's liver and blood as a source of food and hydration. Despite the incredible difficulties he faced, Poon Lim managed to keep his spirits up by singing and talking to himself, and he even managed to keep track of the passing days by marking the raft with notches.

On April 5, 1943, Poon Lim was finally rescued by a Brazilian fishing boat, after drifting for more than four months at sea. He was weak and emaciated but miraculously still alive."