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Captain takes charge
Despite the captain being injured, he takes charge from the bow and informs his fellow men what to do. The oiler and the correspondent take the responsibility of rowing while the cook bails water from the dinghy. -
Introduction
Just before dawn, the four main characters are stranded on a boat- the injured captain, the oiler, the cook and the correspondent. These four are the only survivors on a sinking boat and they are fighting to stay alive. The winter waves continue to beat down on the sleepless men. -
Day break
At dawn, the men start to argue about the thought of being rescued but continue to row towards the shore. Seagulls start to fly overhead, one even landing on the captain's head. He cannot swat it away though for the movement would cause the boat to tip. -
Spotted
Later on, the captain is able to swat away the gulls without tipping the boat. The captain then spots a lighthouse in the distance. The cook explains that the life saving station has been abandoned for more than a year but the crew continues to be excited by the reachable land. Happy about their teamwork and dedication, the correspondent finds four dry cigars that he shares with the men. -
Disaster strikes again
Once realizing that help was not coming, the men’s optimism vanishes as the sea continues to fight. Another wave of hope strikes when the captain spots a man on the shore. The crew men start to believe that the man on the shore sees them. Feeling that they see a crowd then a boat being brought to shore, the crew men feel they are finally being rescued. -
Loneliness
Alone, the correspondent continues to row the boat lost in his thoughts. He wonders why he came so far just in the end, he will drown. He thinks of a childhood poem about a soldier dying in a far away land, never to return home. -
Rest
Night comes and the exhausted men forget about being saved, turning to tending the boat. The oiler and the correspondent plan to alternate rowing throughout the night but instead get tired needing the cook to help. -
Morning
As the sun rises, the captain suggests that the crew run the sea while they still have the energy to fight the demanding waves. They take the boat close to the shore and then run through the icy water towards the shore. Leading the way, the oil goes while the correspondent and the cook swim slower. The captain remains holding on the kneel of the dinghy. -
Fighting for their lives
The correspondent makes good progress to shore until he is caught in a current forcing him back towards the boat. Before he could reach the dinghy, waves throw him to shallower water. A man from shore is then able to rescue him, taking him to shore. The shore man then dives into the sea to save the rest of the crew. The rescued correspondent drifts in and out of consciousness. -
Reaching shore
As the correspondent is gaining his consciousness back, a large group of people appear on the shore with rescue gear. The captain and the cook were saved but they lost the oiler. The three surviving crew mates realize how powerful the sea truly is.