1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,520 Speaker 1: Are you with me on this? We all a dream 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:06,480 Speaker 1: about the great escape, the fabulous adventure, right, But what 3 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,719 Speaker 1: happens when that adventure leads to the murder of you 4 00:00:09,840 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: and your young family with one lone survivor. I'm Patti Steele, 5 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,440 Speaker 1: an eleven year old girl lost at sea after an 6 00:00:17,480 --> 00:00:26,080 Speaker 1: amazing escape. That's next on the backstory. The backstory is back. 7 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:29,640 Speaker 1: Come on. How often have you day dreamed about taking 8 00:00:29,640 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: a break from everything and going on the adventure of 9 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,279 Speaker 1: a lifetime. Maybe you thought about it when you were 10 00:00:35,320 --> 00:00:39,319 Speaker 1: a kid and totally carefree, or maybe you thought, if 11 00:00:39,360 --> 00:00:40,960 Speaker 1: I ever get to a place where I have the 12 00:00:41,040 --> 00:00:43,920 Speaker 1: time and money, I'm going to pack up the family 13 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 1: and just escape for a little while. For a lot 14 00:00:46,760 --> 00:00:50,400 Speaker 1: of us, that dream includes an island in the crystal 15 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: clear waters of I don't know, the South Pacific, or 16 00:00:53,320 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: maybe the Caribbean. That was the motivation behind a trip 17 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: Arthur Dupero planned for his family back in nineteen sixty one. 18 00:01:02,040 --> 00:01:05,920 Speaker 1: Arthur was an optometrist from Green Bay, Wisconsin, and he'd 19 00:01:05,959 --> 00:01:09,319 Speaker 1: been dreaming of renting a big sailboat and taking the 20 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,679 Speaker 1: family on a sea adventure. He'd fallen in love with 21 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:16,360 Speaker 1: clear tropical Oceans while serving on a ship during World 22 00:01:16,440 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: War II. Now it was time to share this with 23 00:01:19,520 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: his family. He decides they'll sail around the Bahamian Islands 24 00:01:23,920 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: and he rents a sixty foot long, two masted sailboat. 25 00:01:27,640 --> 00:01:31,640 Speaker 1: To captain the ship, Arthur hires Julian Harvey, a former 26 00:01:31,680 --> 00:01:36,160 Speaker 1: Air Force fighter pilot and experienced sailor. Julian's wife will 27 00:01:36,200 --> 00:01:38,600 Speaker 1: help crew the boat and do the cooking while they're 28 00:01:38,640 --> 00:01:43,080 Speaker 1: on board. The Dupero family, including Arthur's wife Jean, their 29 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,920 Speaker 1: fourteen year old son Brian, and daughters Terry, Joe eleven, 30 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:50,440 Speaker 1: and Renee seven, were planning to spend a week trying 31 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: out life at sea, and if they liked it, they 32 00:01:53,480 --> 00:01:57,160 Speaker 1: were considering taking a full on sabbatical and extending the 33 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:01,480 Speaker 1: adventure for a much longer period. That was the dream. 34 00:02:02,080 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: They arrive in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to board the Blue 35 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,360 Speaker 1: Bell that's their ship, and meet Captain Harvey and his 36 00:02:08,400 --> 00:02:12,679 Speaker 1: wife Dean. On Wednesday morning, November eighth, nineteen sixty one. 37 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:17,160 Speaker 1: The Duperos set sail for the seven hundred islands surrounded 38 00:02:17,200 --> 00:02:20,960 Speaker 1: by the crystal blue Caribbean Sea that make up the Bahamas. 39 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:24,440 Speaker 1: Over the next four days, the Blue Bell takes her 40 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:28,840 Speaker 1: passengers toward the tiny island chain of Biminy, then on 41 00:02:28,919 --> 00:02:31,840 Speaker 1: to Sandy Point, a small village on the tip of 42 00:02:31,880 --> 00:02:36,399 Speaker 1: Great Abaco Island. Along the way, they explored deserted beaches 43 00:02:36,480 --> 00:02:41,160 Speaker 1: and collect shells. Sounds pretty perfect, and it was until 44 00:02:41,160 --> 00:02:45,680 Speaker 1: it wasn't. On Sunday, Arthur Dupero and the Harveys stop 45 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:49,079 Speaker 1: by the office of Roderick Pinder, he's the village commissioner. 46 00:02:49,360 --> 00:02:51,840 Speaker 1: As they get ready for the return trip to the US. 47 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: Arthur tells Pinder, this has been a once in a 48 00:02:55,280 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: lifetime vacation. We'll be back before Christmas. That night, Dean 49 00:03:00,400 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: made chicken, catch atry and salad for dinner. It was 50 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: the last meal ever served on the Bluebell. Now it's 51 00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: around nine pm, the sea is calm and the moon 52 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:14,920 Speaker 1: is bright. Eleven year old Terry Joe heads down to 53 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: go to bed in her small cabin at the back 54 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:21,000 Speaker 1: of the boat. Usually her seven year old sister would 55 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: be with her, but the rest of the family had 56 00:03:23,160 --> 00:03:25,399 Speaker 1: stayed up on the main deck to enjoy the night 57 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 1: air and watch the captain sail the boat. Suddenly, hours later, 58 00:03:30,680 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: Terry Joe wakes up when she hears her brother yell help, Daddy, Help. 59 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: Then she hears running and stomping noises. Then everything goes silent. 60 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:46,240 Speaker 1: Terry Joe lays shivering in her bed. She's terrified. Then, 61 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:50,320 Speaker 1: after about five minutes or so, she slowly slips out 62 00:03:50,320 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: of her cabin. She sees her mother and brother lying 63 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: in a pool of blood in the main cabin, and 64 00:03:57,080 --> 00:04:01,840 Speaker 1: she knows at that moment that they're dead. Slowly she 65 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:05,480 Speaker 1: climbs the stairs. Now she sees more blood pulled on 66 00:04:05,560 --> 00:04:09,360 Speaker 1: the deck and maybe a knife. Suddenly, as she turns 67 00:04:09,400 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: toward the front of the boat, Captain Harvey lunges at 68 00:04:12,520 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: her and shoves her down the stairs, yelling get back 69 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: down there. She retreats to her bunk, but then notices 70 00:04:19,440 --> 00:04:22,960 Speaker 1: water and oil seeping in and beginning to cover the floor. 71 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 1: Captain Harvey comes in. He seems to be holding a rifle, 72 00:04:27,640 --> 00:04:30,000 Speaker 1: but then he leaves and she hears him go back 73 00:04:30,080 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 1: up on deck. But the water is starting to cover 74 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: her mattress now, and she knows she has to get out. 75 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,880 Speaker 1: Much like Rose in Titanic, she wades through waste deep 76 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:43,479 Speaker 1: water and finally climbs up to the deck. She sees 77 00:04:43,520 --> 00:04:46,720 Speaker 1: that the ship's dinghy and rubber life raft are floating 78 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: beside the boat. She yells, is the ship sinking? Captain 79 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:53,919 Speaker 1: Harvey yells back yes. He tells her to hold the 80 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:56,839 Speaker 1: line to the dinghy, but she drops it by mistake 81 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:00,440 Speaker 1: and it floats away from the Bluebell. That's when Harvey 82 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: abandons Terry Joe altogether and jumps overboard to go catch it. 83 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:08,720 Speaker 1: He swims after the dinghy and then disappears into the night. 84 00:05:09,680 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: But Terry Joe remembers there's a small cork life float 85 00:05:13,680 --> 00:05:17,039 Speaker 1: tied to the main cabin wall. She quickly unties it, 86 00:05:17,400 --> 00:05:21,080 Speaker 1: and just then the Bluebell sinks beneath her feet into 87 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: the ocean. She stays low on the float, afraid Captain 88 00:05:25,120 --> 00:05:28,200 Speaker 1: Harvey may come back to get her. She has no water, 89 00:05:28,520 --> 00:05:32,400 Speaker 1: no food, and just very thin clothing. The moon had 90 00:05:32,480 --> 00:05:36,039 Speaker 1: set and clouds moved in. All she could hear was 91 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: the wind waves are now kicking up and the salt 92 00:05:39,320 --> 00:05:43,040 Speaker 1: water is stinging her eyes and lips. All she's thinking 93 00:05:43,200 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: is where's my father? The next day, the sun returns 94 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: and begins to burn her terribly. On top of that, 95 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: parrotfish with their sharp teeth go after her legs when 96 00:05:54,279 --> 00:05:56,840 Speaker 1: she hangs them in the water off for her flimsy float. 97 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:00,560 Speaker 1: At one point, a small plane flies over, but it's 98 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:03,800 Speaker 1: clear they can't see her. Would anyone ever find her? 99 00:06:04,560 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: Her only relief comes when a school of dolphins swims by, 100 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:11,360 Speaker 1: making her feel less alone as they swarm around her. 101 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:15,839 Speaker 1: Another night comes and offers relief from the sun, but 102 00:06:15,920 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: she has odd dreams, and she hears her father calling 103 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:22,920 Speaker 1: to her, but he's not there. Meantime, the day after 104 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:26,560 Speaker 1: the Bluebell went down, an oil tanker spots a small 105 00:06:26,560 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: wooden dinghy floating in the ocean. A man in the 106 00:06:29,640 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: dinghy yells to them, my name is Julian Harvey. I 107 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,719 Speaker 1: am captain of the Bluebell. In the next couple of days, 108 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:39,479 Speaker 1: Harvey tells the coast guard in Miami that he was 109 00:06:39,520 --> 00:06:42,960 Speaker 1: the only survivor of a terrible accident. He says a 110 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,200 Speaker 1: sudden squall damaged the sailboat, and his wife and the 111 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:50,600 Speaker 1: Duboro family were all lost after a fire broke out. Okay, 112 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: now let's head back to Terry Joe. By day three, 113 00:06:54,040 --> 00:06:58,040 Speaker 1: she's hallucinating more. She thinks she sees a tiny island 114 00:06:58,040 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 1: with a palm tree. She paddles towards it, but it disappears. 115 00:07:02,480 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: Day four and the sun is back, but she doesn't 116 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,680 Speaker 1: feel it burned because she's totally unconscious, now close to death. 117 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: By mid morning, though she manages to open her eyes. 118 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:16,240 Speaker 1: She hears a rumbling sound and she makes out a 119 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:21,600 Speaker 1: big shadow. Suddenly, she dimly sees heads and waving arms, 120 00:07:22,000 --> 00:07:26,000 Speaker 1: and there are faint voices. Finally, strong arms are pulling 121 00:07:26,040 --> 00:07:29,800 Speaker 1: her up as she passes out again. She's been rescued 122 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: by a Greek freight called the Captain THEO. Meantime, Captain 123 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 1: Harvey is staying at a hotel in Miami when he 124 00:07:37,440 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: hears the news that Terry Joe has been rescued. The 125 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:43,720 Speaker 1: next day, a maid enters his room and sees blood. 126 00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: The police arrive and find his bloody body. He has 127 00:07:48,240 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: committed suicide. After a week in the hospital, police were 128 00:07:52,440 --> 00:07:55,480 Speaker 1: finally able to speak with Terry Joe, and of course, 129 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: her story was very different from the one the now 130 00:07:58,560 --> 00:08:03,000 Speaker 1: dead Captain told the cop her father, mother, brother, and 131 00:08:03,080 --> 00:08:06,880 Speaker 1: little sister, along with Dean Harvey, had been slaughtered by 132 00:08:07,000 --> 00:08:11,560 Speaker 1: Julian Harvey. Why While the police think Harvey killed his 133 00:08:11,640 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: wife to collect money from her life insurance, and perhaps 134 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: doctor Dubero simply caught him in the act, setting off 135 00:08:18,600 --> 00:08:22,120 Speaker 1: a horrifying chain of events. In the end, Terry Joe 136 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,960 Speaker 1: went back to Wisconsin to live with her father's sister 137 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: and her three cousins. She later married and had her 138 00:08:28,280 --> 00:08:32,000 Speaker 1: own three children, and in nineteen ninety eight, Oprah Winfrey 139 00:08:32,120 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: arranged a reunion between Terry Joe and the captain of 140 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: the ship that rescued her. Finally, in twenty ten, she 141 00:08:40,080 --> 00:08:42,600 Speaker 1: wrote a book about the night her family was killed 142 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: and her days lost at sea. In alone, orphaned on 143 00:08:46,240 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: the ocean, she says, I always believed I was saved 144 00:08:49,720 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: for a reason. If one person heals from a life 145 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,600 Speaker 1: tragedy after reading my story, it will have been worth it. 146 00:08:57,480 --> 00:08:59,959 Speaker 1: I hope you like the Backstory with Patty Steele. Please 147 00:09:00,000 --> 00:09:02,520 Speaker 1: please leave a review and I love it of course, 148 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,480 Speaker 1: if you would subscribe or follow for free to get 149 00:09:05,520 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: new episodes delivered automatically. Also feel free to DM me 150 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:10,920 Speaker 1: if you have a story you'd like me to cover. 151 00:09:11,080 --> 00:09:15,280 Speaker 1: On Facebook, It's Patty Steele and on Instagram Real Patty Steele. 152 00:09:20,440 --> 00:09:25,239 Speaker 1: I'm Patty Steele. The Backstories a production of iHeartMedia, premiere Networks, 153 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: the Elvis Durand Group, and Steel Trap Productions. Our producer 154 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:32,640 Speaker 1: is Doug Fraser. Our writer Jake Kushner. We have new 155 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:36,200 Speaker 1: episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Feel free to reach out 156 00:09:36,200 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: to me with comments and even story suggestions on Instagram 157 00:09:39,880 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: at real Patty Steele and on Facebook at Patty Steele. 158 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening to the Backstory with Patty Steele, the 159 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:49,280 Speaker 1: pieces of history you didn't know you needed to know.