Episode 5

In the sub-zero waters of the Southern Ocean, it's all about survival for the crew of the Sudur Havid.

In the spring of 1998, Matt Lewis was just 23 and not long out of college when he accepted a job as a scientific observer on the deep-sea fishing vessel Sudur Havid. It was his first time as an observer and, with the fishing season already started, he was rushed out to Cape Town to join the crew. The boat then sailed off to the Southern Ocean, off South Georgia, to fish in some of the most hostile conditions on the planet.

'Last Man Off' is Matt Lewis's story of that journey and the fateful consequences. The author waited over 15 years for this story to be told. "I was waiting for more time to make the story less painful," said Lewis.

Reader: Sam Troughton
Abridger: Pete Nichols
Producer: Karen Rose

A Sweet Talk Production for BBC Radio 4 first broadcast in 2014.