Into the Storm: Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic

Into the Storm: Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic Battle for Survival

â€œAn intense, immersive deep dive into a wild, dangerous, and unknown world, written with the pace and appeal of a great thriller. This is nonfiction at its very best.â€â€”Lee Child

The true story of two doomed ships and a daring search-and-rescue operation that shines a light on the elite Coast Guard swimmers trained for the most dangerous ocean missions

In late September 2015, Hurricane Joaquin swept past the Bahamas and swallowed a pair of cargo vessels in its destructive path: El Faro, a 790-foot American behemoth with a crew of thirty-three, and the Minouche, a 230-foot freighter with a dozen sailors aboard. From the parallel stories of these ships and their final journeys, Tristram Korten weaves a remarkable tale of two veteran sea captains from very different worlds, the harrowing ordeals of their desperate crews, and the Coast Guardâ€™s extraordinary battle against a storm that defied prediction.

When the Coast Guard received word from Captain Renelo Gelera that the Minouche was taking on water on the night of October 1, the servicemen on duty helicoptered through Joaquin to the sinking ship. Rescue swimmer Ben Cournia dropped into the seaâ€”in the middle of a raging tropical cyclone, in the darkâ€”and churned through the monstrous swells, loading survivors into a rescue basket dangling from the helicopter as its pilot struggled against the tempest. With pulsating narrative skill in the tradition of Sebastian Junger and Jon Krakauer, Korten recounts the heroic efforts by Cournia and his fellow guardsmen to haul the Minoucheâ€™s crew to safety.

Tragically, things would not go as well for Captain Michael Davidson and El Faro. Despite exhaustive searching by her would-be rescuers, the loss of the vessel became the largest U.S. maritime disaster in decades. As Korten narrates the shipsâ€™ fates, with insights drawn from insider access to crew members, Coast Guard teams, and their families, he delivers a moving and propulsive story of men in peril, the international brotherhood of mariners, and the breathtaking power of nature.

Praise for Into the Storm

â€œThe story [Tristram] Korten tells isÂ impressively multifaceted, exploring everything from timely issues such as climate change to timeless themes such as manâ€™s struggle against the oceanâ€™s fury.â€â€”Miami New Times

â€œInto the StormÂ reads like more than just the chronicle of one maritime disasterâ€”and may be a warning claxon against the possibility of more such disasters coming this hurricane season.â€â€”Open Letters Review
Country USA
Manufacturer Ballantine Books
Binding Hardcover
ReleaseDate 2018-04-24
UnitCount 1
EANs 9781524797881

Country	USA
Manufacturer	Ballantine Books
Binding	Hardcover
ReleaseDate	2018-04-24
UnitCount	1
EANs	9781524797881

Into the Storm: Two Ships, a Deadly Hurricane, and an Epic Battle for Survival

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