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My dad escaped the iron curtain by hiding aboard his best friends ship (they were merchant marine officers), and a week into their voyage when they stopped near Istanbul, they shimmied down the anchor line and swam 4 miles to the shore in freezing waters, TL;DR version.

I want to honor his memory by writing a book about what lead him to that moment and about that night specifically when they made their escape.

So AMA? I've grown up hearing the story many times, and before he passed I sat down and mined it for as many details as he could recall.

Any questions in this post will help me in writing the book specifically, what people want to learn about and what interests people about the story.

My dad escaped the iron curtain by hiding aboard his best friends ship (they were merchant marine officers), and a week into their voyage when they stopped near Istanbul, they shimmied down the anchor line and swam 4 miles to the shore in freezing waters, TL;DR version. I want to honor his memory by writing a book about what lead him to that moment and about that night specifically when they made their escape. So AMA? I've grown up hearing the story many times, and before he passed I sat down and mined it for as many details as he could recall. Any questions in this post will help me in writing the book specifically, what people want to learn about and what interests people about the story.

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[–] • 0 pt

How old was he? How many people were in the group? Did they lose anyone?

[–] • 0 pt (edited )

He was 32 or 33, I have the exact date and timing of the event in a notebook but off the top of my head I can't remember if it was before or after his birthdate that year.

Having had his credentials for traveling to foreign ports revoked due to his penchant for challenging authority, his best friend offered to smuggle him in the ceiling of his officers cabin, and snuck him food and water for a week while they transited out of port. This endeavor being so highly illegal with summary execution if they were caught, or life imprisonment if they were discovered pre-attempt, he only ever confided his plans to his best friend who both had aspirations for liberty and wouldn't turn my dad in to Romania's version of the KGB. Thusly, only the two of them around 2am covered themselves in machine-grease from the engine room (protection against hypothermia) and shimmied down the anchorline into the water.

Just to add to the insane puckerfactor, there was a (((some sort of bioluminescent microorganism))) blooming in full swing that night. As they swam away, they lit the water up around them with the movement of their hands. They were certain they would get shot at any second. Nothing happened, miraculously.

His friend being the better swimmer, quickly developed a lead and was out of sight. Roughly 30 minutes in, my Dad felt like giving up. He was raised an atheist, but he recalled a 'sailors prayer' he had read once in Singapore, and he recited it in his mind. In his words, he was filled with warmth and an assurance he wouldn't die that night, and he successfully swam to the beach, it being so dark he swam until his hands touched the sand.

[–] • 1 pt

That is an amazing story. Thank you for sharing it!

[–] [deleted] • 0 pt

Cool edit, bro.

[–] • 0 pt

stay mad, mossad!