A true coincidence story today, but is it simply coincidence? Much more could be involved, dependent on beliefs.
One night during the war in the Pacific, an American bomber piloted by Major Allen Lindberg of Westfields NJ, was returning to its base in Australia when one of the four engines conked out. The huge plane began a slow, gentle dive toward the sea, 20,000 feet below. Shortly before dawn, it crashed.
The nine crew members scrambled into two rubber life rafts, but had no time to provide themselves with either food or fresh water.
When daylight came, the plane was gone, and the two rubber boats, dangerously overloaded, floated idly on the surface of the sea.
According to the navigator, the nearest land was hundreds of miles away. They had no oars, so they paddled with their hands - until sharks appeared. Then they gave up and just drifted.
They drifted all that day and all that night. The next morning the sea was still empty as ever, and the tropic sun beat down with unmitogated fury. Their lips were so badly cracked and their tongues so swollen from thirst they could barely speak.
But late on the second afternoon, an incredible sight: a little palm-fringed island lay directly ahead of them! One of the hundreds of invisible ocean currents that flow like rivers through the sea had carried them right to the shore of the island. Three native outrigger canoes came out to meet them, towed them ashore, and gave them food and water
Two weeks later, the nine men were picked up by a patrol plane and returned to their base in Australia.
By pure coincidene, their plane had crashed right in the middle of an ocean current. By coincidence that current flowed right past the island. But that island was uninhabited. The natives who rescued them lived on another island, over a hundred miles away. While out fishing, they had felt a sudden impulse to visit this particular island - a thing they hadn't done in years. They had arrived only a few hours before the current bore the two rafts virtually into their arms.
The nine crew members scrambled into two rubber life rafts, but had no time to provide themselves with either food or fresh water.
When daylight came, the plane was gone, and the two rubber boats, dangerously overloaded, floated idly on the surface of the sea.
According to the navigator, the nearest land was hundreds of miles away. They had no oars, so they paddled with their hands - until sharks appeared. Then they gave up and just drifted.
They drifted all that day and all that night. The next morning the sea was still empty as ever, and the tropic sun beat down with unmitogated fury. Their lips were so badly cracked and their tongues so swollen from thirst they could barely speak.
But late on the second afternoon, an incredible sight: a little palm-fringed island lay directly ahead of them! One of the hundreds of invisible ocean currents that flow like rivers through the sea had carried them right to the shore of the island. Three native outrigger canoes came out to meet them, towed them ashore, and gave them food and water
Two weeks later, the nine men were picked up by a patrol plane and returned to their base in Australia.
By pure coincidene, their plane had crashed right in the middle of an ocean current. By coincidence that current flowed right past the island. But that island was uninhabited. The natives who rescued them lived on another island, over a hundred miles away. While out fishing, they had felt a sudden impulse to visit this particular island - a thing they hadn't done in years. They had arrived only a few hours before the current bore the two rafts virtually into their arms.
Coincidence? Synchronicity? Or maybe some other power entirely. Who knows?
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This is very interesting so out of my own curiosity I looked up Lindberg. He died Dec. 12, 1945 and it is reported that he and the crew disappeared in Papua, New Guinea. I assume this group had many missions in the Pacific.
ReplyDeleteAnother source listed the crew as missing in 1943. Seems to be a lot of controversy about the circumstances and I like seeing your post to add mystery! These stories are fascinating.
Great story! Interesting that the rescuers felt an IMPULSE to visit the island where they were stranded. I often think that impulses are synchronicity at work.
ReplyDeleteDivine Providence.
ReplyDelete...wasn't their time?
ReplyDelete