Medusa (shipwreck)

The Medusa was a French sailing ship that became famous for its tragic wreck in 1816 off the coast of Senegal. When it ran aground due to navigational error, only a few crew members could be rescued; the majority of the 147 onboard were left stranded on a makeshift raft. Over 13 days, most died from hunger, exposure, or violence, with some resorting to cannibalism. The disaster sparked public outrage and became a symbol of incompetence and neglect, inspiring an influential painting by Théodore Géricault that highlighted the horrors of the event.