Zachary Fowler, a boatbuilder from Appleton, survived 87 days in the Patagonia region of South America to earn $500,000 on the TV show “Alone” on the History Channel. Fowler grew up in Vermont and came to Maine to pursue an interest in boatbuilding. He learned the craft at shipyards on the midcoast, and put down roots when he was 21, purchasing a 2½-acre parcel of wooded land in Appleton.
Fowler, his wife, Jami, and their two daughters live off the grid in a yurt that he built, and practice a sustainable lifestyle.

He’ll join MaineVoice Live on June 6 to talk about his adventure. Fowler and other contestants on the show were scattered in the rugged Patagonian terrain miles from one another. They never saw each other during the competition, and were tasked with videotaping themselves. There were no camera crews. The only human contact came from medical personnel, who checked in for signs of starvation.

Fowler survived on dandelion roots and large grubs, and caught enough fish to eat it 53 of the 87 days he was there. He also ate two birds.

He’ll join us for a conversation about his experience on the show, his life in Maine and his plans for the future.

Video Recorded June 6, 2017

Jim Patrick has covered everything from Super Bowls to beer startups, but he’s comfiest on a pair of downhill skis on a powder day. He’s interviewed Ivy League professors, Hall of Fame pitchers and many, many Portland-area brewmasters. A Minnesota native who finds Maine’s climate much more temperate than his native state, Jim has been working in daily newspapers for 20 years, including at The Salt Lake Tribune and Burlington (VT.) Free Press.