Stranded sailor says 'bucket list' led him to nearly die on 5,000-mile Pacific journey

An 86-year-old sailor, Harry Blodgett, says his nearly 5,000-mile Pacific ordeal was worth it because it fulfilled the last item on his “bucket list.” Blodgett and his one-eyed dog, Sasha, were rescued last month about 500 miles off the San Diego coast, nearly two months after disappearing during a voyage from Oregon to the South Pacific. He set sail aboard the Willow Wind from Astoria, Ore., aiming for Pago Pago in American Samoa. Two weeks in, he lost his sails and nearly ran out of fuel, forcing him to rely on the open ocean. The Coast Guard received a contact request on Oct. 24 after no word for 60 days, and the vessel was located following an emergency beacon alert on Oct. 27.