In 1961 This Little Girl Was Found Adrift At Sea. Decades Later She Revealed The Horrifying Truth
In 1961 a freighter sailed around the Bahamas as its crew spotted something incredible in the waters below: a young girl, close to death, drifting through the ocean on a tiny cork float. But just how had 11-year-old Terry Jo Duperrault come to be lost alone in the Atlantic Ocean? Her story will shock and astound you in equal measure.
Originally, though, little Terry Jo’s visit to that part of the world was meant to be the trip of a lifetime for the Duperrault family. In fact, Dr. Arthur Duperrault, a 41-year-old eye doctor from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and his wife Jean, 38, had been saving money to make the journey for a long time.
And the couple also wanted to take their three children – Brian, 14, Terry Jo, 11, and Renee, 7 – on a vacation that they would never forget. So they chartered a boat, the 60-foot ketch Bluebelle, to take them on a week’s holiday from Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to explore the islands of the Bahamas.
On November 8, 1961, the ship set sail with the Duperrault family safely on board. One Julian Harvey was the captain of the vessel, and he had brought his wife Mary Dene along for the ride too. For four days, then, the trip went just as the Duperraults had planned.
During that idyllic period, the Bluebelle headed east, aiming for the small islands of Bimini. And from there, the Duperraults hit Sandy Point, a community on the island of Great Abaco. Here was the perfect spot for the group to drop anchor and enjoy a spot of snorkeling. They also gathered shells on the beautifully colored sands.