Three Scottish brothers embarking on a challenging journey across the Pacific Ocean shared their harrowing experience of one brother being swept overboard amidst a ferocious storm.
Ewan, Jamie and Lachlan Maclean, of Edinburgh, set off on their unprecedented rowing mission in mid-April.
Their ambitious aim is to traverse 9,000 miles from South America to Australia in 120 days, setting a record for the fastest crossing while raising $1.4 million (£1 million) to support clean water initiatives in Madagascar.
As they are more than half way through their trip, Lachlan, the youngest brother, has shared a traumatizing ordeal he fortunately survived.
‘It’s been a really tough week, to be honest,’ Lachlan confessed while reflecting on the horrifying incident from last Tuesday.
During a tumultuous storm, Lachlan, in the process of switching rowing shifts with Ewan, was struck by a massive side-on wave, which resulted in him being washed overboard.
The brothers estimated the wave that swallowed Lachlan in a split second was at least 15 feet high.
‘The boat spun violently and I was thrown head over heels into the dark,’ he detailed the moment a wall of water barreled toward him and knocked him off his feet.
Lachlan Maclean (pictured) retold the harrowing moment he was swept overboard by a 15-foot wave during a storm
The bold trio’s goal is to cross the 9,000 miles from South America to Australia in 120 days
From left to right, Lachlan, Ewan and Jamie, first rowed a great ocean in 2020, when the then-rookie rowers sailed the Pacific Ocean
Shaken and disoriented, Lachlan found himself flailing among the vicious waves and being dragged by his safety line along the side of the boat ‘like a rag doll.’
He described the uncertainty he felt in the pitch black sea. While he was totally thrown and unsure of what had happened, he was also worried about Ewan.
Lachlan was able to grab onto the line running across the boat’s hull and tug himself closer to the edge.
In the orangey glow of his headlamp, suddenly saw Ewan, who pulled him to safety. ‘That was a bit scary,’ was all he could manage to utter when he was back onboard.
He attributed his survival to being clipped to the vessel.
‘Yesterday, my harness and safety line probably saved my life,’ he wrote a day after one of the ‘scariest moments’ of his life.
The brothers have taken this at-sea scare as a wake up call – reminding them to stay alert and take proper safety protocols for the remainder of their strenuous journey.
They have already traveled more than 5,600 miles, but still have about 3,400 to go.
The brothers have taken this at-sea scare as a wake up call – reminding them to stay alert and take proper safety protocols for the remainder of their strenuous journey
Lachlan was trying to switch off rowing with his brother, Ewan (pictured), when he was flung from the boat
Lachlan only appeared to sustain minor scraps to one of his hands, but he said he is still haunted by the near-death experience.
‘It is the first time I have been in a boat and felt totally at the mercy of the sea. The boat we have is designed to be tossed upside down and then right itself,’ he said.
‘We didn’t capsize, but had three knock downs. That’s halfway to capsizing and then it goes the right way again.
‘It was pretty scary. There are no second chances out here.’
The Maclean’s first massive endeavor was across the Atlantic Ocean in 2020 – when none of them had any real rowing experience.
‘To everyone’s surprise, we broke three World Records and raised over £200,000 for charity,’ they wrote on their website.
In 2023, they established The Maclean Foundation, which focuses on clean water accessibility.
The brothers are now about half way through their trip and have raised 17 percent of their goal
From left to right, Jamie, Lachlan and Ewan, have vowed to remain aware and stick to their safety measures after the youngest brother’s brutal wake-up call
The Pacific Ocean trip they are currently on is raising money for a partnering charity called Feedback Madagascar.
‘Madagascar is a country in which only 14 percent of the rural population have access to a clean water source. We’re doing something to change that,’ the wrote.
So far, they have raised about £170,300 or roughly 17 percent of their goal.
The brothers share glimpses of their journey on social media, often candidly discussing the trials and tribulations they encounter everyday.
