A seaman who has spent the last two years sailing around the globe on his yacht has revealed how a paraffin stove burst on him when he was by himself in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, leaving him with horrible burns.
In 2016, 150 miles from shore, Max Campbell, 27, was sailing alone as part of a three-month journey. As he attempted to ignite the vintage stove, it caught fire.
After diving into the ocean, he had second-degree burns to 12% of his body, including his face, arms, torso, and chest. However, he was forced to continue sailing for two days until he reached land.
He was hallucinating at the time because his body was going into shock, but he claims today that he never once thought he would pass away.
It was a very dark period, he recalled. “I always believed I would survive, but it was extremely near, the closest I have ever been to losing my life.”
The oceanographer from Cornwall spent seven days receiving burn treatment on a drip at a hospital in Grenada. He needed a whole year to heal physically from his wounds.
Prior to the incident, Mr. Campbell was taking part in a three-month excursion aboard a boat with his boyhood buddy, geologist Harry Scott.
With plans to go 650 nautical miles to France, Spain, and Portugal, the two men departed Falmouth, their hometown.
Flying Cloud was a yacht that Mr. Campbell had purchased for about £500 and spent his leisure time restoring before setting sail.
In order to spend the ski season with his partner, Mr Scott made the decision to stop travelling after arriving in Portugal, thus Mr Campbell opted to keep going alone. A little while afterwards, there was an explosion.
He claimed: “I was so physically and emotionally damaged that it took me a year to recover. I travelled back to England after leaving my yacht in the Caribbean.
Fortunately, the scars vanished completely after about three or four months, and ultimately, it strengthened me. The scars have now healed really nicely after around three to four months.
Returning to the UK was extremely challenging for Mr. Campbell since he had PTSD and others “kept identifying him by his horrible experience.”
Mr. Campbell has a new yacht, Elixir, and has intentions to sail around the globe this winter, crossing the Pacific Ocean, six years after the tragedy.
“The offshore side of things is my favourite aspect of travelling; there is something about avoiding the life of the land,” the traveller said. I feel satisfied when I am at sea and sailing – It seems really fulfilling to arrive in a new area and to sail there it feels like you have earned it,’ he added. “Money, phones, vehicles, and jobs all evaporate when you are on these offshore voyages.”
On his blog, Untide, as well as his corresponding TikTok account, he will be chronicling his adventures.