Terry Jo Duperrault was only 11 years old when a traumatic experience changed her life forever. Despite her young age, she managed to escape a scenario that would've killed most people, showing incredible resilience and survival instincts in the face of overwhelming odds against her.
More than 80 hours after surviving a sinking ship, this amazing girl was found adrift at sea in very poor health, but the secrets she held were more horrifying than anyone could've imagined. Let's explore the shocking events leading up to Terry Jo's miraculous rescue.
It All Started With A Vacation
During harsh winters, many families in the United States leave for sunny shores, and the Duperrault family was no different. Terry Jo's father, Doctor Arthur Duperrault, had always dreamt of sailing on the open seas for an entire year, but this would be difficult to accomplish with a family in tow.
Therefore, Arthur decided to settle for a shorter adventure with a trusty captain at the helm of a sailboat. The entire family thoroughly enjoyed their trip to the Bahamas and were planning to come back soon. But on their return trip to America, things would go horribly wrong.
She Awoke To Her Brother's Screams
After a lovely meal with her family, Terry Jo went to bed in her room below deck. But her peaceful slumber was suddenly interrupted by a disturbing noise above her. As she woke up, she realized what she was hearing: her brother was screaming for help.
For a moment, Terry Jo lay in bed, paralyzed with fear. Then the screaming stopped. Worried for her brother's well-being, she worked up the courage to go see what had happened. Her heart was beating faster with every step she took. When she reached the upper level, a horrific scene met her eyes.
The Biggest Surprise Of A Sailor's Life
Nicolaos Spachidakis was the first mate of the Captain Theo, a freighter traveling from Greece through the Northwest Providence Channel in the Bahamas. As he stared out at sea, he spotted an oddly shaped object among the waves. It looked too small to be another ship but not small enough to be mere debris.
Nicolaos alerted the crew, and the ship headed toward the object. As they drew nearer, the sailors were shocked to realize that it was a lifeboat carrying a blond-haired child barely alive. The little girl turned out to be Terry Jo. She had been stranded at sea for days. How had she gotten there? Would she recover?
A Beautiful, Happy Family
Terry Jo grew up in a loving family. In addition to her father and mother, Arthur and Jean Duperrault, she had two siblings: a 14-year-old brother, Brian Duperrault, and a seven-year-old sister, René Duperrault. As the middle child, Terry Jo always had someone to play with.
Thanks to Arthur's job as an optometrist in their hometown of Green Bay, Wisconsin, the Duperraults wanted for nothing. By all indications, they were a happy, normal family. But like many others in the area, they wanted a break from Wisconsin's freezing weather in wintertime.
The Whole Family Was Ready For Some Sunshine
With Arthur’s generous income, the Duperraults could easily afford to go on vacation. In November 1961, they were ready to get away from the winter chill, even if only temporarily. Everyone in the family must have been excited to enjoy some fun in the sun.
Arthur was especially excited to sail from Florida all the way to the Bahamas. It wasn't exactly a luxury cruise, but the Duperraults would get some quality time together. At a time when there were no cheap flights, sailing was also the most affordable route to a tropical paradise. And so they sought a ship.
A Seemingly Trustworthy Captain
Arthur knew that he lacked the expertise to carry out his plan to take his family to visit various islands in the Bahamas on a sailboat. Therefore, he set out to find an experienced captain who could guide him through the ocean odyssey he envisioned.
After a search in Florida, Arthur hired Captain Julian Harvey, who brought along his wife, Mary Dene Harvey. As a former fighter pilot and World War II veteran who had received numerous medals for his service, Julian had an impeccable reputation. But appearances can be misleading.
The Horrific Night That Changed Everything
The Duperraults were having a wonderful family vacation. Arthur was delighted that his plan to sail to the tropical islands had gone so well. After all, it was only natural for him to worry that his family wouldn't enjoy sailing as much as he did.
But Arthur's anxiety turned out to be completely unfounded. As they made their way back to the United States on their sailboat, the Bluebelle, the Duperraults were already looking forward to another trip around Christmastime. They had no idea of the horrors awaiting them on the night of November 12, 1961.
A Little Girl's Terrible Discovery
After hearing screams and stamping noises on deck, Terry Jo went upstairs to see what was going on. The gruesome scene she encountered would forever scar her mental health. There, in the main cabin, were her mother and her brother, their bodies lying in a pool of blood.
It was clear to Terry Jo that they were dead. She then went to the deck, where she saw more blood and what may have been a knife. Suddenly, she was accosted by the captain, who yelled at her to go back below deck. She obeyed despite her shock.
Abandoned On A Sinking Ship
Terry Jo was terrified. Had Julian killed her family? What was she going to do? Then she noticed something that snapped her out of her shock: her room was filling with water. She couldn’t stay there any longer, so she gathered her courage and went up on deck once more.
Again she found Julian, who told her that they were sinking. He handed her the rope tethering a dinghy, but she let go when she saw her sister's body in the dinghy. Desperate to climb aboard the drifting boat, the captain then dove off the ship. Terry Jo found herself alone on a sinking ship.
Dinner And A Horror Show
Terry Jo couldn't believe her predicament. Only hours before, the captain's wife had cooked a delicious dinner for everyone on board. The whole Duperrault family had enjoyed each other's company, never suspecting that they would all meet a grisly fate before the night was through.
In her grief, Terry Jo could've given in to her depression, choosing to go down into the depths with her family's bodies. Instead, a primal instinct awakened within her, driving her to find some way to escape the doomed ship. But what could she do now?
Barely Escaping With Her Life
Fortunately, Terry Jo remembered that the Bluebelle was equipped with a single cork float. It wasn't much, but she was small enough to fit inside it. She hurried over to untie the cork float so she could climb onto it before the ship sank. But just as she crawled inside, a frightening incident occurred.
The sailboat suddenly capsized, and a rope attached to the float got caught on the deck, pulling Terry Jo underwater with the lifeboat. For one terrifying moment, she thought her life was over, but then the rope came loose, enabling her to float away. She had escaped with nothing but the clothes on her back.
Torturous Days At Sea
Terry Jo had no food, no water, and nothing to protect herself from the stinging sea salt. Her first night on the open sea filled her with dread, but the blazing heat the next day turned out to be even worse. Without proper skincare, she was scorched by the sun.
Though she hoped to be rescued soon, Terry Jo had no idea if anyone would find her. Another night came, followed by another day. She was exhausted and afraid for her life, but certain incidents reassured her that all not was lost. One of them was a plane flyover.
Waving Desperately For A Rescue
When she saw a small plane circling the area where she was stranded, Terry Jo thought she was saved. In an effort to make herself more visible, she took off her light-colored blouse and started frantically waving it toward the airplane. After all, this could be her only chance to be rescued.
The plane continued to circle around Terry Jo but unfortunately never picked her out among the waves. When it eventually flew away, all she could do was sit there, dejected. She comforted herself that at least this part of the ocean wasn't completely desolate, but the lack of nutrition was already weakening her.
Adrift, Alone, Alive
For over 80 hours, Terry Jo would see nothing but the vast expanse of the ocean all around her. As time went by, her health began to deteriorate. Under the punishing sun exposure and deprivation of food and water, she started to suffer from hallucinations.
Terry Jo kept dreaming that she was on a plane with her family calling for her. At one point, she also thought she saw a desert island, but the mirage disappeared when she tried to paddle toward it. However, she didn't spend her entire journey alone.
Comforting Creatures Renewed Her Hope
One day, a pod of porpoises surrounded Terry Jo's raft and remained by her side for several hours. Despite her exhaustion, she couldn't help but give thanks to God for these creatures as their company provided emotional support, renewing her resolve to survive this ordeal.
However, there were other creatures that only increased Terry Jo's suffering. As the material inside the cork float started to disintegrate, she was forced to dangle her legs over the side, exposing them to parrotfish that would snap at her bare feet. Things began looking grim for the lost little girl.
The Ship That Saved Her Life
If the Captain Theo hadn't picked her up, it's difficult to know if Terry Jo would've made it. She couldn't have survived the dehydration and malnourishment much longer. Furthermore, she could've drowned had the raft's interior completely fallen apart, forcing her to float below the waves.
Thankfully, Nicolaos saw Terry Jo right in the nick of time. As the sailors approached her, everyone started waving at her. By this time, she was almost completely delusional, so she wasn't what she was seeing. But there was one more hurdle before she could board the ship and get to a hospital.
A Terrifying Obstacle
Just as the men aboard the Captain Theo set out to retrieve Terry Jo, sharks suddenly surrounded them, probably attracted by the movement between the lifeboat and the ship. Animal rights advocates might say the sharks were only curious, but they scared the living daylights out of everyone.
Terry Jo's rescue was thus delayed even further until the sharks disappeared. When the crew eventually managed to get her on board, she was severely dehydrated, though it appeared that she would recover with proper medical attention. But what became of Julian after he jumped off the Bluebelle?
The Captain's Lies
On that fateful night, Julian managed to get into the dinghy, where he stayed with his wife's body. He was rescued the next day by a freighter called the Gulf Lion, which brought him to the U.S. Coast Guard. The story he told the officers was fascinating but false.
According to Julian, some sort of malfunction had caused an explosion on the Bluebelle, killing the entire Duperrault family. He further claimed that he and Mary Dene had survived the explosion, though she had drowned while trying to escape the sinking ship. The captain pointed to her body as evidence.
Julian's Ruse Ended In Suicide
Julian reportedly seemed happy to hear that Terry Jo had been found alive. However, he must have known that her testimony would point to him as the culprit in the Bluebelle disaster. Rather than see his reputation ruined, he decided to take his own life.
After excusing himself, Julian retreated to his hotel room, where he cut himself on the throat, ankle, and thigh with double-edged razors. Police later discovered his body when a housecleaner found his bathroom locked. Everyone was left to wonder about the motive behind the captain's actions.
What May Have Happened On The Bluebelle
According to numerous sources, Julian was planning to cash out on Mary Dene's life insurance policy for $20K, a very impressive amount in 1961. This theory is supported by the fact that one of his six previous wives had mysteriously died in a crash, while he had survived to collect on her insurance.
Julian is thought to have brought aboard his wife of only three months so he could kill her and then make it look like an accidental death at sea. Many people believe that Arthur caught him drowning Mary Dene and tried to intervene, whereupon the captain brutally murdered everyone on deck in a rage.
Taken Into Her Relatives' Loving Care
Once Terry Jo recovered her strength, she told the police the entire story of what she had seen on the Bluebelle. From then on, she sought privacy to cope with the traumatic events she had endured. Her aunts decided to take her in, raising her alongside her cousins.
After a while, Terry Jo changed her name to Tere, perhaps in an attempt to distance herself from the infamous story that had spread worldwide like celebrity news. Nonetheless, she had a good upbringing that helped her to heal and move on with her life.
She Now Lives Her Life To The Fullest
Eventually, Tere got married, had a big family with six children, and became a grandmother. Interestingly, she worked for over a decade with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as a specialist in water management, possibly providing expertise related to her unique and extraordinary experience.
Finally confronting the memories that had haunted her for decades, Tere decided to co-author and publish a book titled Alone: Orphaned on the Ocean, probably as a form of catharsis. She hopes her survival story will inspire others to never give up in the face of overwhelming obstacles.
Life Vests Are Bright Orange Because Of Her
Because she defied the odds, Tere's legacy has impacted the entire world. After she was rescued, the U.S. Coast Guard decided to make life vests a bright orange color that would stand out more on the ocean and thus increase the chances of spotting someone adrift on the surface.
Other nations followed suit so that life vests all over the world are now this bright orange color. Who knows how many lives have been saved because of Tere’s harrowing experience? Her resilience and determination show how much we can overcome if we have the will to succeed.