Voluntary autonomy of man in the natural environment. Voluntary human autonomy in the natural environment Theories of the French doctor

It is not the harsh elements of the sea that kill the shipwrecked, but their own fears and weaknesses. To prove this, the French physician Alain Bombard crossed the Atlantic in an inflatable boat without food or water.

In May 1951, the French trawler Notre-Dame de Peyrag set sail from the port of Equiem. At night, the ship went off course and was thrown by the waves onto the ledge of the Carnot mole. The ship sank, but almost the entire crew managed to put on their vests and leave the ship. The sailors had to swim a short distance to get to the stairs on the wall of the pier. What was the surprise of the port doctor Alain Bombard when in the morning the rescuers pulled 43 corpses ashore! People who found themselves in the water simply did not see the point in fighting the elements and drowned, remaining afloat.

stock of knowledge

The sea wolves just laughed at the arguments of yesterday's student. "Boy, you've only seen the sea from the pier, but you're getting into serious questions," the ship's doctors said arrogantly. And then Bombar decided to experimentally prove his case. He conceived a voyage as close as possible to the conditions of a sea disaster.

Before trying his hand, Alain decided to stock up on knowledge. Six months, from October 1951 to March 1952, the Frenchman spent in the laboratories of the Oceanographic Museum of Monaco.

Alain Bombard with a hand press, which he squeezed out of the fish "juice"

He studied the chemical composition of sea water, types of plankton, the structure marine fish. The Frenchman learned that more than half of sea fish consists of fresh water. And fish meat contains less salt than beef. So, Bombar decided, you can quench your thirst with juice squeezed out of fish. He also found out that sea water is also drinkable. True, in small doses. And the plankton that whales eat is quite edible.

One on one with the ocean

Rubber boat "Heretic" - on it Alain Bombard went to conquer the elements

The boat itself was a tightly inflated rubber horseshoe, the ends of which were connected by a wooden stern. The bottom, on which a light wooden flooring (elani) lay, was also made of rubber. On the sides were placed four inflatable floats. The acceleration of the boat was supposed to be given by a quadrangular sail with an area of ​​\u200b\u200bthree square meters. The name of the ship was a match for the navigator himself - "Heretic".
Bombard later wrote that the reason for choosing the name was that most people considered his idea "heresy", not believing in the possibility of surviving on only seafood and salt water.

However, Bombar did take something into the boat: a compass, a sextant, navigational books and photographic accessories. On board were also a first aid kit, a box of water and food, which were sealed in order to exclude temptation. They were intended for the most extreme case.

Alain's partner was to be the English yachtsman Jack Palmer. Together with him, Bombard made a trial voyage on the "Heretic" from Monaco to the island of Minorca lasting seventeen days. The experimenters recalled that already in that voyage they experienced a deep sense of fear and helplessness before the elements. But the result of the campaign everyone regarded in their own way. Bombard was inspired by the victory of his will over the sea, and Palmer decided that he would not tempt fate twice. At the appointed time of sailing, Palmer simply did not appear at the port, and Bom-bar had to go to the Atlantic alone.

On October 19, 1952, a motor yacht towed the Heretic from the port of Puerto de la Luz in the Canary Islands to the ocean and unhooked the cable. The northeast trade wind blew into a small sail, and the Heretic set off into the unknown.

It is worth noting that Bombard made the experiment more difficult by choosing voyages from Europe to America. In the middle of the 20th century, ocean routes ran hundreds of miles from Bombar's path, and he simply did not have a chance to feed himself at the expense of good sailors.

Against nature

A week later, the wind tore the sail that propelled the boat. The bomber set a new one, but half an hour later the wind carried it into the waves. Alain had to repair the old one, and he sailed under it for two months.

The traveler got food as planned. He tied a knife to a stick and with this "harpoon" he killed the first prey - a sea bream. From her bones he built fishhooks. In the open ocean, the fish were not frightened and grabbed everything that fell into the water. The flying fish itself flew into the boat, killing itself when it hit the sail. By morning, the Frenchman found up to fifteen dead fish in the boat.

Bombara's other "delicacy" was plankton, which tasted like krill paste but was unsightly. Occasionally, birds were caught on the hook. Their traveler ate raw, throwing only feathers and bones overboard.

During the voyage, Alain drank sea water for seven days, and the rest of the time he squeezed "juice" from fish. It was also possible to collect the dew that settled in the morning on the sail. After almost a month of sailing, a gift from heaven awaited him - a downpour that gave fifteen liters of fresh water.

Extreme hike was given to him hard. The sun, salt and roughage led to the fact that the whole body (even under the nails) was covered with small abscesses. The bomber opened abscesses, but they were in no hurry to heal. The skin on my legs was also peeling off in shreds, and the nails on four fingers fell out. Being a doctor, Alain kept track of his health and recorded everything in the ship's log.

When it rained five days in a row, Bombar began to suffer greatly from excess moisture. Then, when calm and heat settled, the Frenchman decided that this was his last hours and wrote a will. And when he was about to give his soul to God, the shore appeared on the horizon.

Having lost twenty-five kilograms of weight in sixty-five days of sailing, on December 22, 1952, Alain Bombard reached the island of Barbados. In addition to proving his theory of survival at sea, the Frenchman became the first person to cross Atlantic Ocean on a rubber boat.

After the heroic voyage, the whole world recognized the name of Alain Bombara. But he himself considered the main result of this journey to be the glory that did not fall. And the fact that throughout his life he received more than ten thousand letters, the authors of which thanked him with the words: "If not for your example, we would have died in the harsh waves of the deep sea."

On a single rubber boat under sail in 65 days, almost no food or fresh water. The experience ended successfully. His feat was one of the most outstanding achievements of mankind in the confrontation with the ocean.

« Victims of legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know it wasn't the sea that killed you, it wasn't hunger that killed you, it wasn't thirst that killed you! Swinging on the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear».

(Alain Bombard)

Brief chronology

1952 Bombard set sail alone in a rubber boat across the Atlantic Ocean. The voyage lasted 65 days and was intended to prove that shipwrecked people could live for long periods at sea without food or water supplies, eating only what they could find at sea. The experiment was a success

1953 edition books "Overboard at will"

1960 thanks to the Bombard experiment The London Navigation Safety Conference decided to equip ships with life rafts

Life story

This amazing person, French physician Alain Bombard, clearly and convincingly proved that in order to acquire a reputation as a great sea traveler, it is not at all necessary to be a sailor. Moreover, there is evidence that he did not even know how to swim. While working as a practicing physician in a seaside hospital, Dr. Bombar was literally shocked by the statistics, reporting terrible numbers. Every year, tens and hundreds of thousands of people die in the seas and oceans! The bomber was convinced that a significant part of them did not drown, did not die of cold or hunger. Being in boats and boats, kept on the water thanks to life belts and life jackets, most shipwrecked die in the first three days. As a doctor, he knew that the human body can live without water10 days, and without food even up to 30. “Victims of the legendary shipwrecks who died prematurely, I know: it was not the sea that killed you, it was not hunger that killed you, it was not thirst that killed you! Swinging on the waves to the plaintive cries of seagulls, you died of fear, ”Bombard said firmly, deciding to prove by his own experience the strength of courage and self-confidence.

Knowing well the reserves of the human body, Alain Bombard was sure that death from fear and despair overtook not only passengers of warships and comfortable liners, but also professional sailors. They are accustomed to looking at the sea from the height of the ship's hull. A ship is not just a means of transportation on water, it is also a psychological factor that protects the human psyche from fear of an alien element. On a ship, a person has confidence that he is insured against possible accidents provided by designers and shipbuilders, that a sufficient amount of any food and water has been prepared in the holds of the ship for the entire period of navigation and even more ...

But even in the days of the sailing fleet, it was said that only whalers and fur seal hunters see the real sea. They attack whales and seals in the open ocean from small whaleboats and sometimes wander for a long time in the fog, carried by storm winds from their ships. These people were prepared in advance for a long sea voyage on a boat and therefore died much less frequently. Even having lost a ship in the open ocean, they traveled enormous distances and still came to land. And if some died, it was only after many days of stubborn struggle, having exhausted the last forces of their body.

The French doctor Alain Bombard was sure that there is a lot of food in the sea and you just need to be able to get it in the form of fish or planktonic animals and plants. He knew that all rescue boats on ships had a set of fishing lines and even nets, that if necessary they could be made from improvised means. This means that you can get food, since almost everything that our body needs is contained in marine animals, including fresh water. And even sea water, consumed in small quantities, can save the body from dehydration.

Alain Bombard knew well the power of suggestion and self-hypnosis. He knew that the Polynesians, sometimes blown far from land by hurricanes, could rush through the stormy ocean for weeks and months and still survive by catching fish, turtles, birds, using the juices of these animals - tasteless, even nasty, but saving from thirst and dehydration . In all this, the Polynesians did not see anything special, since they were mentally prepared for such troubles. But the same islanders who survived in the ocean meekly died on the shore with a full abundance of food when they found out that someone had “bewitched” them. They believed in the power of magic and died of self-hypnosis.

In order to make potential victims of shipwrecks believe in themselves, in a real opportunity to overcome both the forces of the elements and their apparent weakness, Alain Bombard set up an experiment on himself in 1952 - he went to sailing the atlantic ocean in an ordinary inflatable boat. Bombar added only a plankton net and a speargun to her equipment. He called his rubber ship defiantly - " Heretic».

The bomber chose a route that runs far from sea routes, in a warm, but deserted zone of the ocean. Previously, as a rehearsal, he and his friend spent two weeks in the Mediterranean. For 14 days they made do with what the sea gave them. The first experience of a long journey dependent on the sea was a success. Of course, and it was difficult, very difficult! Swimming participant Jack Palmer said: “Feelings, already specifically negative, were aggravated solar radiation, thirst dehydrating the body and an oppressive feeling of absolute insecurity from the waves and the sky, in which we dissolved, gradually losing our own selves. There was only an opportunity to imitate life, to survive in essence on the sharply sharpened blade of the knife of uncertainty ... "

Jack Palmer was an experienced sailor, having previously crossed the Atlantic all alone in a small yacht equipped with everything necessary, but at the last moment he refused to participate in the ocean voyage with the Bombard. He assured that he believed in his friend's idea, but did not want to eat again raw fish, swallow healthy, but disgusting plankton and drink even more disgusting fish juice, diluting it with sea water.

Speaking of fish juice. As a physician, Bombar knew that water was more important than food. Previously, he examined dozens of fish species that he could get for lunch in the ocean, and proved that fresh water makes up 50 to 80% of the weight of the fish, and the body of marine fish contains significantly less salt than the meat of mammals. Bombard also made sure that every 800 grams of sea water contains about the same amount of salt (not counting table salt) as there is in a liter of different mineral waters. During his journey, Bombar became convinced that it was extremely important to prevent dehydration of the body in the early days, and then a decrease in water rations would not be detrimental to the body in the future.

Bombard had many friends, but there were also skeptics, ill-wishers, and people who were simply hostile to him. Not everyone understood the humanity of his idea. Newspapermen were looking for a sensation, and since there was none, they invented it. But people who are well acquainted with the history of navigation and shipwrecks warmly supported the idea of ​​Bombard. Moreover, they were confident in the success of the experiment.

August 14, 1952 single Bombara expedition started from Monte Carlo. For insurance, in case of a threat of imminent death, he nevertheless took an emergency reserve - small set high-calorie canned foods. There was also a hermetically sealed shortwave radio set aboard the Heretic. In fact, it broke down pretty soon. Bombard's last radio message was his firm promise: "I will certainly prove that life always wins!"

The sea element constantly threw Bombard tests, one more serious than the other. A heavy wind tore the sail, making it difficult to keep the course. Frequent rains did not leave a dry thread and soaked to the bone. And the boat was chased by impudent sharks. They also prevented fishing and plankton sifting. The navigator's body was covered with non-healing ulcers, his fingers could hardly be bent, from constant nervous tension and lack of sleep dizzy.

The water made me sad, sometimes it looked like a seething cauldron, and sometimes it created the illusion of immobility. Alain stubbornly drove away despair. The one who called himself a heretic nevertheless felt that this was a great sin, and the doctor knew that the feeling of despair was harmful to health, in his own conditions it was simply life-threatening. And the movement towards the goal continued - slow, winding, but - movement.

65 days Alain Bombard sailed across the ocean. In the early days, he refuted the assurances of connoisseurs that there were no fish in the ocean. Yes, many authoritative travelers who have plied the ocean many times have said so. This delusion was due to the fact that big ships it's hard to see life in the ocean. But Bombar then crossed the ocean in a boat, from the side of which to the surface of the water - some centimeters. And the doctor was convinced from his own experience that the ocean is often deserted for many weeks of travel, but there are always creatures in it that can be useful to humans.

“When my strength was exhausted and defeatist moods crept into my soul,” recalls Bombar, “I was lifted aboard by the team of the British vessel "Arakoka". From the navigator, tormented by despair, I learned that I was 850 miles east of what I thought. What to do? Fix the bug, that's all. The captain began to dissuade, convincing that life is a priceless gift. I replied that I was doing my job to save other lives. "Heretic" again took the Atlantic. Again loneliness, harsh sun during the day, dank cold at night, again fish and plankton, dosed giving strength, now sufficient only to somehow cope with the sail of a clumsy rubber boat.

The bomber felt as happy as ever before, and entered with a pencil in a damp, moldy logbook prophetic words: "You, my brother in distress, if you believe and hope, you will see that your wealth will begin to increase day by day, as on the island of Robinson Crusoe, and you will have no reason not to believe in salvation."

When the traveler finally saw the shore, it was Barbados island. And again a test - for the soul and will. The bombard was met by hungry fishermen, who were not at all surprised by the appearance of a half-dead man in a rubber boat, and began to beg Alain to give them emergency food supplies. What a test for a doctor! But Bombar, overcoming the natural impulse of the soul, resisted. He later recalled: “It was fortunate that they did not eat the emergency supply. And then how would I prove that in 65 days of swimming I did not touch it ?!

Dr. Alain Bombard proved that a person can do a lot if he really wants to and does not lose willpower, that he is able to survive in the most difficult conditions. Describing this unprecedented experiment on himself in the sensational book "Overboard of his own free will", which sold millions of copies, Alain Bombard saved tens of thousands of lives of those people who were alone with the hostile elements and were not afraid.

Returning from swimming, Alain Bombard organized in San Malo (France) marine research laboratory. Now he firmly knew that it was vital to study them. These studies are extremely important because they are aimed at developing optimal modes survival in extreme conditions. Practical results announced themselves very soon. Those who followed the recommendations of Bombar and his staff scientific center, survived even where it would seem impossible to survive.

The great traveler Alain Bombard died at an advanced age (80 years) in the southern French city of Toulon on July 19, 2005.

(1924 - 2005)

Born on October 27, 1924 in Paris.
Physician, biologist.
Researcher at the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco (1952).
Voluntarily crossed the Mediterranean Sea (1951) and the Atlantic Ocean (1952) in the inflatable boat "Heretic" to prove the possibility of survival for the shipwrecked.
Secretary of State under the Minister environment(1981).
AT last years Dr. Bombard continues to write travel books; he presides over various research competitions and leads the humanitarian organization "Justes d" Or (something like "fair gold").
At the Fifth Jules Verne Festival, held in Paris in November 1996, A. Bombard headed the competition jury documentaries about research.
In 1997, a new book by A. Bombard "Les Grands Navigateurs" ("Great Navigators") was published.
At the International Festival of Adventure Films in Dijon (2002) A. Bombard was an honorary delegate.
On March 8, 2003, Dr. Bombar, as head of the aforementioned humanitarian organization, awarded another such organization "Voiles Sans Fronti?res" (something like "transparent borders") for "humanitarian and public services." ...
Dr. Bombar died on July 19, 2005.

| Voluntary human autonomy in natural environment

Fundamentals of life safety
6th grade

Lesson 18
Voluntary human autonomy in the natural environment

Voluntary autonomy is an exit planned and prepared by a person or a group of people into natural conditions with purpose. Goals can be different: leisure in nature, the study of human possibilities of independent stay in nature, sports achivments and etc.

Voluntary autonomy of man in nature is always preceded by serious comprehensive preparation taking into account the goal: the study of the characteristics of the natural environment, the selection and preparation of the necessary equipment and, most importantly, physical and psychological preparation to the challenges ahead.

The most accessible and widespread type of voluntary autonomy is active tourism.

Active tourism is characterized by the fact that tourists move along the route due to their own physical efforts and carry all their cargo with them, including food and equipment. The main goal of active tourism is active recreation in natural conditions, restoration and promotion of health.

Tourist routes Hiking, mountain, water and ski trips are divided into six categories of difficulty, which differ from each other in time, length and technical complexity. This provides ample opportunities for people with different backgrounds to participate in the campaigns.

So, for example, a walking route of the first category of complexity is characterized by the following indicators: the duration of the hike is at least 6 days, the length of the route is 130 km. The pedestrian route of the sixth category of complexity lasts at least 20 days, and its length is at least 300 km.

Voluntary autonomous existence in natural conditions, it can have other, more complex goals: educational, research and sports.

In October 1911 to South Pole almost simultaneously, two expeditions rushed - Norwegian and British. The goal of the expeditions is to reach the South Pole for the first time.

The Norwegian expedition was led by Roald Amundsen, a polar traveler and explorer. The British expedition was led by Robert Scott - Marine officer, captain of the first rank, who had experience as a winter leader on the Arctic coast.

Roald Amundsen exceptionally skillfully organized the expedition and chose the route to the South Pole. The correct calculation allowed Amundsen's detachment to avoid severe frosts and prolonged snowstorms on their way. The Norwegians reached the South Pole on December 14, 1911 and returned back. The trip was completed in a short time, in accordance with the timetable determined by Amundsen, within the Antarctic summer.

Expedition of Robert Scott reached the South Pole more than a month later - January 17, 1912. The route to the pole, chosen by Robert Scott, was longer than that of the Norwegian expedition, and weather route is more difficult. On the way to the Pole and back, the detachment had to experience -40-degree frosts and get into a protracted blizzard. The main group of Robert Scott, which reached the South Pole, consisted of five people. All of them died on the way back during a snowstorm, about 20 km before reaching the auxiliary warehouse.

So the victory of one and tragic death others were immortalized by the conquest of the South Pole by man. The perseverance and courage of people moving towards the intended goal will forever remain an example to follow.

Frenchman Alain Bombard, being a practicing doctor in a seaside hospital, was shocked by the fact that every year tens of thousands of people die at sea. At the same time, a significant part of them died not because of drowning, cold or hunger, but from fear, from the fact that they believed in the inevitability of their death.

Alain Bombard was sure that there was a lot of food in the sea and you just need to be able to get it. He reasoned as follows: all life-saving equipment on ships (boats, rafts) have a set of fishing lines and other tools for fishing. Fish contains almost everything the human body needs, even fresh water. Drinkable water can be obtained from raw fresh fish by chewing it or simply squeezing the lymphatic fluid out of it. Sea water, consumed in small quantities, can help a person save the body from dehydration.

To prove the correctness of his conclusions, he alone, on an inflatable boat equipped with a sail, spent 60 days in the Atlantic Ocean (from August 24 to October 23, 1952), living only due to the fact that he mined in the sea.

It was the complete voluntary autonomy of man in the ocean, carried out with research purpose. Alain Bombard proved by his example that a person can survive in the sea, using what it can give, that a person can endure a lot if he does not lose willpower, that he must fight for his life to the last hope.

A striking example of the voluntary autonomy of a person in the natural environment with a sporting purpose is the record set by Fedor Konyukhov in 2002: he crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a single rowboat in 46 days. and 4 min. The former world record for crossing the Atlantic, held by French athlete Emmanuel Couand, has been improved by more than 11 days.

Fedor Konyukhov started the rowing marathon on October 16 from the island of La Gomera, which is part of the group canary islands, and on December 1 finished on the island of Barbados, which is part of the Lesser Antilles.

Fedor Konyukhov prepared for this voyage for a very long time., accumulating experience of extreme travel. (He has more than forty land, sea and ocean expeditions and entry and 1000 days. solo voyage. He managed to conquer the North and South geographic poles, Everest - the pole of heights, Cape Horn - the pole of yachtsmen-sailboats.) Fyodor Konyukhov's journey is the first successful rowing marathon in the history of Russia across the Atlantic Ocean.

Any voluntary autonomy of a person in nature helps him develop his spiritual and physical qualities, educates the will to achieve his goals, increases his ability to endure various life hardships.

Test yourself

What was the goal pursued by Alain Bombard, having spent 60 days in an autonomous stay in the ocean? Did he achieve the desired results, in your opinion? (When answering, you can use the book French writer J. Blon " great hour oceans" or the book of A. Bombar "Overboard")

After lessons

Read (for example, in the books of J. Blon "The Great Hour of the Oceans" or "Geography. Encyclopedia for Children") the description of the expeditions of Roald Amundsen and Robert Scott to the South Pole. Answer the question: why was Amundsen's expedition successful, and Scott ended tragically? Record your answer as a message in your safety diary.

Use the Internet (for example, on the site of Fedor Konyukhov) or in the library to find materials about one of the latest records of Fedor Konyukhov and answer the question: what qualities of Fedor Konyukhov do you consider the most attractive? Prepare a short message on this topic.