Children Who Survived Against All Odds

This 11-year-old child escaped death twice in one week.

Her name is Terry Jo Duperrault. She was 11 years old when her family was murdered on a sailboat in the Bahamas. She was the only survivor.

It was November 12, 1961. Terry Jo, her parents, and two siblings were returning from a family vacation. They were sailing on the Bluebelle, a 60-foot ketch.

That night, the captain of the Bluebelle, Julian Harvey, murdered Terry Jo's family. He then sank the boat and left Terry Jo to drown.

Terry Jo survived for four days adrift at sea. She was found floating on a life raft by a Greek freighter.

Terry Jo's story is one of incredible survival. She is a true testament to the human spirit.

The Duperrault family

The ship they were traveling on was captained by Julian Harvey. Harvey was a former Air Force fighter pilot and an experienced sailor.

The ship

Harvey was accompanied by his sixth wife, whom he had married three months earlier.

That night, Harvey drowned his wife.

He also killed every member of Terry Jo's family, because they caught him in the act.

(It is important to understand that this is the accepted theory. Since Harvey didn't know the family personally, the investigators believe he killed them because they discovered his crime. Killing the family could've been act of passion, in a fit of murderous rage.)

---

Here's what they were doing before the horrific murders began.

Terry Jo was sleeping below deck when she heard her brother, Brian, yelling for help. She heard running and stamping noises, followed by silence.