Gunnar Lorense Olsson
Gunnar Lorense Olsson was a seaman on the Valencia. There are several accounts by Valencia survivors of one, two, or three men at the base of the cliffs across from the Valencia. Comparing the numerous versions of this event, it seems that there was only one man. How he got there is still unknown, though he must have been one of about 50 passengers and crew thrown from the lifeboats in the first hour of the wreck. He evidently was the only one that didn’t drown and found himself at the base of an unclimbable cliff. Frank Connors, who survived on the Turret raft believes that person was Louis Olsen.
January 29th Victoria Daily Times, “A member of the crew called Lewis, who Mr. Connors thinks was Lewis Oleson getting into a place of safety on the face of the rock, tried to drag this line in, but his efforts were useless. This line also parted. It has always been a mystery how Lewis reached this place of safety. Connors says he saw him attempt to cross a narrow strip of water which from the ship looked to be only about five feet wide. It looked as though he could jump across and from the other side could reach the top of the bluff. He was advised to do this, but apparently the distance was greater than it appeared from the ship. Lewis stripped off his gum boots and some other clothing and attempted to swim the gulf. He was immediately dashed to death.