The Valencia Shipwreck on the West Coast TrailJohn Segalos was a fireman on the Valencia and one of the survivors of the Valencia disaster. Segalos survived by escaping on the Topeka Raft, one of two life rafts that carried survivors to safety. The Topeka Raft, picked up by the SS City of Topeka on January 24, 1906, carried 19 men, including Segalos, who endured brutal conditions—freezing, battered by waves, and nearly insane from exposure.

The Valencia Disaster

 Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail1. The Valencia Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail2. The Voyage Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail3. The Boats Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail4. The McCarthy Boat Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail5. The Bunker Party Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail6. On the Valencia Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail7. The Rafts Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail8. The Turret Raft Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail9. The Rescue Ships Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail10. The Aftermath Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail11. The Survivors Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail12. The Lost 

The West Coast Trail

Shipwreck on the West Coast TrailPrologue Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail1: The West Coast Trail Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail2: When to Hike & Fees Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail3: Trailheads Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail4: Getting There Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail5: Considerations Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail6: Campsites Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail7: Shipwrecks Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail8: Routes Shipwreck on the West Coast Trail9: Sights & Highlights

Segalos bravely attempted a heroic act by volunteering to swim to shore with a rope to secure a lifeline for a breeches buoy, a rescue device. He struggled against powerful undertows, became entangled in the rope, and was hit by a log, forcing him to cut the line and return to the ship. He would later recall, "I volunteered to try to swim to land.  A rope was secured to me and I plunged into the surf.  It was no use, I was simply dashed back by the waves and so I cut the line and a life buoy was thrown to me and I was pulled aboard stunned."