A Speck in the Sea

A Story of Survival and Rescue

By: John Aldridge, Anthony Sosinski

Narrated by: Robert Fass, Fred Berman

Length: 6 hrs and 32 mins

Publisher's Summary

The harrowing adventure-at-sea memoir recounting the heroic search-and-rescue mission for lost Montauk fisherman John Aldridge, which Daniel James Brown calls "A terrific read".

I am floating in the middle of the night, and nobody in the world even knows I am missing. Nobody is looking for me. You can't get more alone than that. You can't be more lost. I've got too many people who love me. There's no way I'm dying like this.

In the dead of night on July 24, 2013, John Aldridge was thrown off the back of the Anna Mary while his fishing partner, Anthony Sosinski, slept below. As desperate hours ticked by, Sosinski, the families, the local fishing community, and the US Coast Guard in three states mobilized in an unprecedented search effort that culminated in a rare and exhilarating success. A tale of survival, perseverance, and community, A Speck in the Sea tells of one man's struggle to survive as friends and strangers work to bring him home.

Aldridge's wrenching first-person account intertwines with the narrative of the massive, constantly evolving rescue operation designed to save him.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your Library section along with the audio.

©2017 John Aldridge and Anthony Sosinski (P)2017 Hachette Audio

A Fascinating Survival Story

On July 24, 2013, John Aldridge of Montauk, New York fell overboard from the back of the lobster boat, Anna Mary. His partner Anthony Sosinski and a crew member were asleep below. In the morning, they discovered Aldridge missing and called the Coast Guard. A large sea rescue search and rescue began.

Part of the story is told by John Aldridge about his ordeal of survival. The other part of the story is told by Anthony Sosinski or third person narrator and covers the search and rescue. It was amazing to read about the support of the fishing community (Montauk, New York) for both of the men.

This is a well written memoir about survival in the North Atlantic. The book is highly readable. Aldridge was in good physical shape when he went overboard. The story clearly demonstrates that he survived because of his skill as a seaman and the rescue was successful because of the seamanship of fellow fishermen and the excellent knowledge and skills of the Coast Guard. This is a remarkable uplifting story about beating the odds of survival.

The book is six and a half hours long. There are two narrators for this book. Robert Fass does an excellent job narrating his section of the book. The two narrators had different styles of reading which turned out appropriate for the story. Fass is an Audie-winning narrator. Fred Berman also does a great job narrating the book. Berman is a voice-over artist and award-winning audiobook narrator.

Great Story/Narration

Every time the narrator started talking for Johnny I thought I was listening to Bill Burr

Excellent weaving of many stories

What made the experience of listening to A Speck in the Sea the most enjoyable?

Many people were touched by this event. The story weaves in their perspective giving you a chance to connect with these people and their experience. This messes with the timeline, as you have to go back in time to pick up where they began to be touched. Nonetheless it works well and deepens your connection to the loved ones while learning their story of "what happened."

Who was your favorite character and why?

John Aldridge

Montauk

If you could sum up A Speck in the Sea in three words, what would they be?

Will to live

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Found! Chapter 13

Any additional comments?

Anyone interested in Montauk should read this book. It describes the unique commercial fishing industry of Montauk and the community surrounding it. A Spec in the Sea goes deeply into the love for the fishing industry, the love of a tight-knit community, and the sharp coordination and professionalism of the US Coast Guard. The cooperative effort of everyone involved, and John Aldridge’s will to live, shows how miracles can happen. A nice summer read while visiting Montauk for sure.

A great story with an even greater ending.

A Speck in the Sea is well written and suspenseful. The multiple narrators do an amazing job of pulling you into the story. It's amazing to see how the two communities that John was apart of rallied when they heard that he was missing. Both his fellow fishermen and the people of the small town where he grew up were they to offer any assistance they could. A big thanks to the men and women of the USCG for coordinating such a valiant effort to bring John home.

just a speck

loved it great survival story!! well written. i would read the book again for sure!

Short but intense

Starts out with a wide breadth but the story focuses quickly and reels you in well

Beautiful story and look into the life of Montauk Locals

Really love this book, beautiful written and amazing story of the real heart of the Montauk community often overlooked.

Boring!

I’ve listened to a lot of sea rescue stories that were so thrilling, but this is not one of them! This is the first one that used swearing in it, also, which I did not like, but I would have still listened had the story been interesting. It wasn’t! The authors lost me on Chapter two. On to a better story!

good but a little repetitive about fishing life

okay but some parts were a little slow and a bit repetitive about fishing life