+ I've solved the power generation problem

[maxpublic]

Thinking about Danielle's cable into the sea and the fact that no traditional power-generation system could last for sixteen years without a bevy of replacement parts and a whole lot of maintenance, an alternative power generation method came to mind, one which I haven't thought about in at least ten years. And one which a French expedition could've had in hand in 1988.

In essence, it's possible to use the heat difference between layers of ocean water to generate electricity. The surface of the ocean is warmer than the depths, and the deeper you go the colder it gets. The bigger the difference between the near-surface water layers and the deeper layers, the more heat that can be exchanged between these two endpoint layers, the more electricity you can generate. Because of this it's only a practical power generation system in tropical areas where the near-surface temperature of the water is much higher than the lower depths.

This technology began to be seriously explored back in the '70's (the OTEC projects). The idea with these projects was to generate enough power - or enough power-producing product, like ammonia - to provide for the electrical needs of entire cities. For an endeavor of this magnitude the plant and equipment required still needs replacement parts and maintenance, and isn't of any use to us when trying to explain how Danielle manages to have access to electricity after sixteen years.

However, it's entirely possible to construct a direct-energy power generation system meant for much smaller demands than cities - say, a ship or an ocean-anchored research base. Better yet, these smaller generation systems don't require turbines, flow pipes, or in fact anything at all in the way of moving parts. They've been experimentally proven to work, although the low cost of fuel pretty much stalled out any important further development.

Essentially, the idea is that you take a conductive material and place an anchor on one end and a floation device on the other. Drop the entire thing in the ocean. It needs to be long enough (and the ocean deep enough, at that point) that the anchored end is sitting in a relatively cool ocean layer, while the end with the flotation device is bobbing in much warmer near-surface water. Heat moves along the conductive material from the warmer water to the cooler water, exciting either the conductive material itself or some other material wrapped around the conductive material. This results in the movement of electrons in the excited material - electricity. Cleverly designed you can get all the electrons moving to a single point along your device and use this direct current to power pretty much anything you like.

This version of the device isn't capable of powering anything large, like a city. It is, however, quite able to power a ship and is easily deployed. It's also very low-maintenance.

If Danielle's expedition expected to need extra electricity and didn't want to (or couldn't) carry the fuel they required, this would be a convenient way to generate that power. Take the cable, drop it overboard in the right spot, wait for the heat transfer to kick in, and viola! Electricity. It also stands to reason that any ship carrying one of these cables would also carry a spare or two in case a serious storm or accident damaged the original.

In any event this provides a solid, logical explanation for how Danielle has been able to power her equipment for sixteen years and perhaps equally importantly why there's a big ol' cable leading from her underground hideout into the sea.

Max

[pinnerman]

That's the best thing I've read here in a long time. That's a very plausible explanation for both the cable and the power source. Nicely done.

[Notslar]

Nice Work Max

[leftofpunk]

you don't know that it's her cable though...secondly as far as the power source....she said "they" control that now.

[cccourt]

OH MAX..........YOU are de man!!! (Sorry PIN)

Max: I recall this alternative energy solution from a term paper my son wrote in the 80's. We lived overseas at the time, and few places to do research. Though the ocean energy solution had to do with river hitting ocean water...thus generating electricity...it is similar. I had forgotten this as well.

EXCELLENT description, details, and explanation. Oh...we miss you!

ccc

[Wynter Zera]

Wow, I think you got it Max. It is the best theory I've heard.

[JacksGirlfriend]

Well, Max, nice return. You've been busy and creative as usual. Of course I won't even pretend to understand all of it, but it sounds good to me. If Pin likes it, I like it (since it's scientific and all).

Glad to see a new episode sparked a few brain cells and you've mustered your enthusiasm again. Now open another book and get cracking on that monster. I want to know what lifted Shannon into the air in the preview. I still say a man could have done it. Remember Sawyer lifting Kate on the cliff? You said it wouldn't be hard at all for a man in reasonable shape. Pin and WC don't seem to agree with me about that. I guess I need a second opinion. I pick you. I'll expect another thread soon unless Pin beats you to it. The new episode fired up his brain cells as well.

Always thinking you two... it's a wonder I can keep up with you at all.

JacksGirl

[Chance Gardener]

Glad to see my idea from back in October turns out to be plausible.

[maxpublic]

Well, it certainly received a better response than my whacko 'out of time' theory. ;-)

Yep, a man in reasonable shape can pick up a woman like that. I do mean 'reasonable', and that probably doesn't cover most American men today (har har!). Seriously though, it probably doesn't since so many of us are badly out of shape.

But just look at the guys on the show. They're covered in muscle. Even Locke is fit as a fiddle. They might have a problem lifting Jack's nearly 200 pounds up into the tree (perhaps more; seems like Michael is packing on muscle just like everyone else) but Shannon weighs what? 120 pounds, if that? Although the preview is so fast I'm not sure if Shannon was grapped or perhaps yanked into the tree via rope, or hell - sucked into the air by giant tentacles.

Still, any one of our muscle-bound good guys could do the trick if they were anchored so that a running Shannon didn't pop them right out of their perch. Shannon is small enough for it. But the thing is: why didn't we see someone's arms grab her and pull her up? You'd have to catch her under the armpits unless you fancy breaking her neck by pulling her up by her head.

Max

[maxpublic]

Glad to see my idea from back in October turns out to be plausible.

What idea? Link please.

Max

[Chance Gardener]

one of the posts (http://p073.ezboard.com/flosttheunofficalforumfortheabcseriesfrm29.showMes sage?topicID=337.topic&index=5)

I re-upped this in November, but can't seem to find the original posting yet.

[JacksGirlfriend]

Oh oh...

Chance - it might be archived by now. But you should be able to find it and copy it. If you need my help, let me know.

JacksGirl

[maxpublic]

Well, I'll be damned. I never saw your post - I'm on-again off-again here due to real life - but it seems you beat me to the punch. Wish I'd seen this before I went to the trouble of researching 1980's OTEC technology this morning to see if my recollections were on-target. :-)

In any event, this thread should now read: "ChanceGardener has solved the power generation problem".

Max

[EnzoMatrix]

Yeah that scene caught my attention in many ways. For one the angel she moved as she rose in the air. The camera angle, And the speed at which it happened. It all leads me to believe that the creature lifted her up. But as the wizards first rule says, People are stupid. They will believe anything they want to be true or fear to be true. And since her role in this last episode was depicted more to public liking we fear the the creature took her so that is our truth. And if you don't like her, well you want her to be taken so it's still true. They've got you comming and going with the Wizards First Rule

(btw: Wizards Rule came from www.terrygoodkind.com/Truth.php (http://www.terrygoodkind.com/Truth.php) I can't take credit for that.)

[gscaleta]

Max: WOW

[Chance Gardener]

Would like to think so, but I think others have pretty much shot down the idea of the cable being a power cable. Seems it was left at it was an anchoring cable, though no one explained why it went so far into the forest.

But being thermoelectric suffers the same fate as massive research facility does.

[maxpublic]

But being thermoelectric suffers the same fate as massive research facility does.

That's only if you're using the OTEC generators that're meant to power entire cities. I'm talking about the experimental no-moving-parts cables from the '80's which were supposed to be able to power vessels by recharging batteries while at anchor or stationary. This was during the "all of our fossil fuels will be gone by the year 2000" scare nonsense.

The cable is pre-made and can be deployed by a single person. No moving parts means no maintenance of any kind. The only concern would be losing the cable due to accident (e.g., the flotation device fails) or if a storm tore it away from the ship before it could be retrieved. Otherwise you pretty much just throw the puppy overboard (anchor means it deploys itself, really) and wait. The flotation end contains what's essentially a socket for hooking a power cable to, which in turn runs to the ships batteries. The power cable looked very much like the cable we saw on the beach going into the ocean, which is what sparked my memory about OTEC in the first place.

The upshot is that Danielle could deploy the cable all by her little lonesome and wouldn't have to do any maintenance on it. I doubt it'd last 16 years, but if the ship she was on had a spare or two (only prudent) then two or three cables should be able to provide for her limited needs for that long, and then some.

Max

[cccourt]

Chance: Wonderful that you found it. Wonderful you are this smart and have such a memory bank.

MAX: wonderful that you researched it. Your work shows us all how we SHOULD be. We should all put this much research into a theory if we don't know it off the tops of our heads as Chance did.

And Max: yours was a really thorough explanation!

Thanks to BOTH our energy sourcers.
ccc

[Chance Gardener]

Do you suppose she could get the cable out to deep enough water to provide enough of a thermal gradient to generate enough usable power?

[maxpublic]

Well, seeing as how they're essentially on a giant volcano poking out of the ocean the slope from shore to deep water has to be pretty steep. IIRC, the mini-cable had to be at least 150 feet long in a prime area to generate enough electricity to be useful; according to the maps I dug up the area around Fiji is good but not the best of hot spots, so I'd imagine the cable would have to be twice this length. Still, that's only three hundred feet for sufficient differential, and I'm willing to bet that if you go just a five hundred or so feet off-shore the slope at that point would mean that you'd have a couple thousand feet between yourself and the ocean floor. Just a guesstimate since I don't know the actual depth of the area around Fiji - have to look it up.

It seems to me the biggest problem would be the power cable hook-up. That much power cable would drag the flotation end down into deeper water, unless Danielle attached a few more flotation devices near the connector end of the cable itself. She seems to be pretty savvy - she's still alive, after 16 years - so she's sure to have figured this out. You don't have to float the entire power cable - and in fact you wouldn't want to, to keep it safe from storm damage - just the connector end.

Or it could be that she's using the sunken ship itself as the anchor, and hooking the power cable to the *bottom* of the generator cable, if there's an attachment at that end (or she's rigged one). That would work better than trying to float the power cable as well as the generator cable. In fact, the power cable would act as additional anchorage to keep the generator cable from moving around in rough seas.

Max

[deelsee7]

If there really is a riptide, Danielle (or someone) could've attached a large balloon to get it out there. Then either waited for the UV to destroy the balloon or maybe shot it with their rifle. They also might have had a dinghy which would've made the whole process easier.

BTW I LOVE this power theory! Simple and effective. And we still don't know that it really has been 16 years.

[SBGoddess]

To really make sure that you had a large enough temperature gradient, you'd have to make sure your cable spanned the thermocline..this is the boundary between the warm surface water and cold deeper waters. The more "tropical" your location is, the deeper your thermocline is. I found some info that said in the eastern tropical Pacific, the thermocline can vary from 25m to 100 m (that's 82 to 328 ft for the customary crowd). It can also shift with the seasons and storms. Depending on the supplies she had and again, her method of deployment, it is a feasible option.

[east928]

I think the powersource is just some Engergizer batteries...and not Duracell

[maxpublic]

the thermocline can vary from 25m to 100 m (that's 82 to 328 ft

Ah, good - so my memory of the cable length isn't that far off. If you average roughly 150 feet for the choice world hot-spots, and the Fiji area comes in second for places to lay a cable, then a 300 foot cable sounds just about right; you'll be certain to cross the boundary between the warmer surface waters and cooler deeper waters required to generate power.

Sometimes it's nice when you pull a number out of your ass out of pure guesswork and it turns out to be fairly close to the reality.

Max

[Wynter Zera]

Bumping this master work!

[LostHorizon]

This Cable Theory is pure genius!
I wonder if we'll see if anything comes of this in the show... Probably not.... :\

[clone11]

Bump

This and the "steam" thread are good to read together.

[G-Man]

max that is a really solid post, even ignoring the implications it carreis with Lost I enjoyed reading it for the info itself, very well written and thought-out.

there are some very creative/intelligent thinkers on these boards, it makes for some great reading and gets my brain functioning during the lull of the workday sometimes!

[cinderellabop]

An excellent theory that should not be forgotten.

[Wynter Zera]

bumped

[Gambit980]

Now that we know the Radio tower was transmitting before the team was on the island, wouldn't there be two power sources one on the island and this one?

[faketree]

Ok, I just posted this in another thread talking about the possible history of the island but this is clearly where it should be.

I've been doing some thinking about the island and people's love of the power cable theory and the type of device that must be in the water to produce this power.

However, one this really bothers me about that cable that makes me think that it is not meant for power and is probably not meant for communications either.

The wire/cable is just laying on the beach haphazardly.

Any sort of power wire is either subterranean (buried in the ground) or elevated off the ground. Any sort of wire that has any kind of significance wouldn't be left on the floor of the beach for boars/polar bears/giant snakes (what i think the 'monster' is)/other people to mess with or take bites out of. Some degree of protection from the elements would be essential.

This leads me to two possible conclusions:
1. the wire wasn't used or installed when the rest of the structures on the island were built, e.g. the radio tower, the hatch. I'm still thinking of possibilities off of this conclusion. Any ideas would be more than helpful to me since I am stuggling with this conclusion.

2. the wire isn't a power or communication cable at all but may be acting as some sort of anchor. I've seen a little about the possibility of the island moving so some kind of anchor would make sense.

The most intriguing part of the wire/cable is the survivors lack of interest in it. But, it wouldn't be good TV if they answered everything in just a few episodes.

[LoStMyMiNd]

I view the cable as a simple landmark so someone can find their way home

[Hodgepodge]

faketree says:
...Any sort of power wire is either subterranean (buried in the ground) or elevated off the ground. Any sort of wire that has any kind of significance wouldn't be left on the floor of the beach for boars/polar bears/giant snakes (what i think the 'monster' is)/other people to mess with or take bites out of. Some degree of protection from the elements would be essential...
I see where you're going with this, but lets not leave the idea of some sort of power cable just yet. If you take into consideration that all islands are probably sinking, wouldn't it make sense that this cable was buried, but because of natural corrosion, we now have a cable above ground? Also, I've thought about this! The cable is never followed to its end. Sayid was caught in a trap, and Hurley leaves the trail when he steps on the booby-trap.

[melostmo]

The most intriguing part of the wire/cable is the survivors lack of interest in it.
yes, this has bothered me a lot, but so much of the characters actions just don't seem normal to me, at all-- the very 1st thing I noticed that was wrong: the burning of the fuselage on the beach,, it would have been the very thing searchers would have seen first,, the polished aluminum hull of the aircraft,, and at the time it was their best shelter (they hadn't found the caves yet) -- burning it just does not seem the normal thing anyone would want to do !:rolleyes

[LoStMyMiNd]

Well I thought they burned it because of the rotting flesh and the predatores it was attracting

[TheBigCat]

Hodge, Sayid takes the others to the point where the cable dissapears into the ground about halfway through ep.18, and tells them that he had been there before.


It is too early to speculate on whether it is a power or communication cable, or even if it might be the anchor for the living island (ha ha), but the different possibilities still make for better speculation than trying to figure out just what species of monkey could live with out food or water for 16 years locked under a hatch cover.

[llywrch]

However, one this really bothers me about that cable that makes me think that it is not meant for power and is probably not meant for communications either.

The wire/cable is just laying on the beach haphazardly.


I've been bothered by the cable also. If it was meant to convey power or communications, I'd expect a cable about half to a full inch in diameter to be far heavier than it's appeared to be in the 2 episodes that showed it; both Sayid & Hurley pick it up & move it thru their hands as if it were a normal-weight length of rope. (Keep in mind that this cable would have a copper core, at least one metal & nylon sheath, & a thick casing of rubber -- a stiff, heavy item that one does not just pick up & pull oneself hand-over-hand along. It's built to withstand a fair amount of abuse.) I'd expect that after a few dozen feet, either Sayid or Hurley would be content to simply leave it on the ground & walk alongside it.

Now perhaps the only prop they could find was a length of normal rope, & this is intended to be a power or communication line; I'm being too critical here. If I'm not too critical, then perhaps this cable is nothing more than a help to other people (Alex? The Others?) to find their way into the jungle; this cable marks a path -- nothing more.

Geoff

[sawyerhasbestlines]

One of the best ideas ever.... still holding strong.

[Chance Gardener]

Nice early theory discussion here.

[Ioncewaslostbutnowamfound]

I really like the idea of where the power to the cable is coming from .. but like someone said we are not certain if it belongs to danielle or not..it just leads close to where she is hiding. Since we found out that part of the security system is underground in the season 1 finally..do you think it is possible that this cable is in fact a power supply to the SS or perhaps a way or the others to stay connected to that part of the island from another area perhaps through video?

[Chance Gardener]

Bringing up one of the early discussions (again) regarding the mysterious cable that has been all but ignored. I think it may have some relevance this new season.

[I like to listen]

I do not believe the cable has anything to do with energy generation in itself. For the following reasons.

The OTEC principle relyed on liquid ammonia, that circulated in a closed system, creating a flow of liquid that was dependent on temerature change in the thermal layers of the ocean causing weight change in the liquid between the bottom of the loop and top. This flow could be tapped with a dynamo to generate electricty. It was a very large system.

It is Great Leap of even psuedo-science to transfer this idea to a single cable capable of the same. The jump is to a "Free Energy System" with just a wire. For a current to be generated, the compotents of the cable for one would need to be composed of near pure zinc and copper for instance. This would probaly "fictionaly" be a very thick cable, a very expensive cable, and a very heavy cable. For electron flow to occur based on a small, relative temperature change between the thermals from one end to another, it would need to be encased in near perfect insulation so the wire was in a closed system, so no temperature leakage would occur as it sat in the water. Otherwise the electron flow would heat the water, not the electrons as needed further down the line in the system. Also electrons move when excited by heat - hot to cold- so in the case of the wire, the flow would be towards the deep submerged end, not to the terminating destination on the island.

Dr.No (fictionaly) nor Tesla in reality could build such a Free Energy device. If there was even the remotest possibilty of this cable generating power you would be paying your electric bills to France. France would not be sending the Holly Grail of energy on a research ship, when it would be worth all the combined known fuel sources on Earth. Nor would they crew a ship with a member who could build such a device as he would be an electrical theorist/engineer/inventor that would make Edison look like a caveman chipping flint for sparks.

There are more logical reasons/theories for the cable. In reverse order of my prefered expanations;

3. It is a power transmission line from a underwater/waterproof turbine, that has a blade system that spins because of a underwater thermal spout it is stationary over, generating electricty from motion. A water wheel, simple dam or pressure pipe at the waterfall (Kates/Sawyer lagoon) would do the same and be easier to build and maintain.

2. It is an antenna designed to transmit long-wave underwater to subs. This would explain why the numbers were transmitted in long-wave. Number stations use short-wave and change the series of numbers they transmit. To contact a submerged submarine long-wave would be used if the intention is just to provide a beacon and not necessarily a coded message which is what number stations are theorised doing. A singular code could be broken and this is not how number station are reported to act. Would also explian why Lenny/Sam were in the military monitoring long wave.

1. Merely a waypoint or marker to bring flies to the spider. ( lets follow this........oops!)

[LostInWilderness]

I have a theory about theories like this. They make no practical sense in the real world. Many are impossible. Most if not all of cherished grandiose old theories around here are like that.

But in a work of TV fantasy, they're all possible. Trashing them based on reality may be fun (and easy,) but it doesn't matter to the Lost creative team one bit. They can still be fun to talk about too.

[I like to listen]

But in a work of TV fantasy, they're all possible. Trashing them based on reality may be fun (and easy,) but it doesn't matter to the Lost creative team one bit. They can still be fun to talk about too.

4. The cable is going to my leg your pulling.

Why not talk about more possible? Thats fun too. Otherwise, LOST is a cartoon that doesn't have to follow any rules, with writers that have confused the Cartoon Network with Mystery Theatre. I don't expect NOVA, but I would hope the writers are trying for a higher mark than Willy E. Coyote science/engineering.

[LostInWilderness]

Don't touch my leg. ;)

What is a more possible explanation for power on the island?

[I like to listen]

What is a more possible explanation for power on the island?

1. Steam generator. (burn wood, coal, palm oil, etc..)
2. Wind generator.
3. Pressure pipe,water wheel or dam (Hydroelectric)
4. Geothermal steam generator.
5. Simple electrochemical battery bank.
6. Simple solar generator or heat exchanger.
7. Bicycle wheel generator (human power like Soylent Green)
8. Burn methan gas derived from captive boar droppings- ala Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome

All more plausible IMO then coming up with "miracle wire" as an explanation for a power source.

[lostmio]

Last season I did some research on both undersea cables and on power generation for small uninhabited islands as 2 separate things, using uninhabited and small as concepts, not specific search terms. I concentrated on the South Pacific area. Here's what I found:

Turns out there's a vast undersea cable world, not really a network tho since there's a myriad of unrelated and unconnected applications. (The most common application I found was some sort of set-up to monitor environmental aspects.)

I waded thru pages of technical stuff but what I found on undersea cables can all be summarized in two words: data transmission.
For power generation, the most common arrangement is batteries powered by solar energy.

Frequently the two overlap: data transmission cables run between central monitoring or communications points to stations or devices on the islands and those devices are powered by solar batteries.
Data transmission can be 1-way or 2-way. In many real life cases the power requirements are very low and the batteries, if properly housed, can last for years.

The Lost cable we've seen can be anything the writers want it to be, but if it carries electrical power then it's as big a danger to the Losts as the monster and the others. That thing would fry them.

[sawyerhasbestlines]

I've always considered this thread what I call an "impact thread". It's memorable, got me thinking, and I learned some stuff. It was also one of those threads that jump out of the sea of the usual hum-drum chatter and jumpstarted us questioning the energy source of the island. (not to mention a refreshing antidote to all the drooling shippers.)

I Like to Listen, you have a valid counter argument as to why you think this is not possible. Could expand on the other engery systems you mentioned and apply it to lost.

How do you think the hatch got lit up, and where would these systems be located. Do things like batteries wear out? How do they get replaced? What kind of maintenance is required to keep things going at least in the 16 year period Crazy Danielle's been there. Who do you speculate built these to begin with? And how does that fit with the writer's statement that nobody has ever left the island.

Biscuitmom, interesting stuff in your post. What do you make of it?

[Chance Gardener]

I believe I've stated elsewhere that I no longer believe this to be a power cable for 2 main reasons:
1) The cable is split and the internal structural cable is exposed (when Sayid lifts the cable, you can see a stranded wire aluminum or steel cable sticking up out of a split in the cable, though you could not really see anything inside the cable jacket). I would suspect that by now, what caused this split would have done so far enough back in time that seawater would have compromised its functionality.
2) The cable is "loose" and apparently just laying on the beach/forest. Sayid when first following the cable easily lifts the cable and walks along with it sliding in his hand. A power cable that thick would be quite heavy and would not be as flexible as shown. A datacom cable on the other hand very well could be. The wiring is much much thinner and much more flexible; it could also be fiber optic cable, being that much lighter still and just as flexible.

So for now I suspect it is a datacom or telecom cable. I wouldn't rule out an antenna, but for some reason, I don't think it's that.

[nastyned]

I think the cable is related in some way to the hatch or what is in it. There was obviously some type of construction done on, in and/or under the island and my guess is that the cable is part of it.

What is most suprising to me is that the lostaways didn't try to find out what is at either end of the cable. If I was on an island like that and I found a cable, I would swim out and see what it is attached to.

[Warthawg1]

In unchartered waters that have already claimed another lostaway? Plus ya know it's not like the cable was floating on top of the water, so that would be a risky venture.

[clayseason1]

In unchartered waters that have already claimed another lostaway? Plus ya know it's not like the cable was floating on top of the water, so that would be a risky venture.
Well I wouldn't volunteer, but I bet the diarist would. She goes swimming every morning all by herself, even after a large dark object (possibly a whale) surfaced near her one time.

[sawyerhasbestlines]

bumping for those looking for a possible explanation for the power source for Desmond's bunker.

[bigmouth]

Good call, SHTBL. Given the ample power, artificial sunlight, and electromagnet, my speculation is that the Hatch is home to a small fusion reactor.

[DohBoy]

I'm not sure a "small" fusion reactor is physically possible with the technology we have today. I'm also not aware of any fusion reactors in existence ... yet.

However, I like the idea - it makes sense going with the theme that we can explain the weird occurences with science fact, as in Michael Crichton books. It explains the odd electromagnetic current, and solves the energy problem.

How about a cold fusion reactor? Wait - I think there are already threads dedicated to that theory.

Cheers.

[TheBigCat]

Following Chance's belief that the cable is data transmission, it could be that when Desmond was woken by the computer he was recieving a signal from the Others, possibly siganaling that the mission to take Walt was successful. I realizing that this is assuming a lot. Actually, it gives me some ideas, which I will post in a separate tread.

[I like to listen]

bump

[LostHorizon]

Sayid speculated in the latest episode ( "Everyone hates Hugo " ) that Desmond's Hatch Complex is run by Geothermal power ( Good Call "I like to Listen"....), but he also said to Jack that the reason for the Concrete wall may be for nuclear containment ( ala Chernobyl ), so that also infers that a nuclear fission reactor may well be there also...

[xkmaillost]

In some countries they put water turbines out in the ocean shallows and the ebb and flow of the tide constantly turn the turbine creating power.
Remember the rip tide that carried the blond girl out to sea and jack ended up saving boone?
Maybe the reason he did not go after the girl was for a reason as maybe she found the cable and followed it out, got caught up in the riptide and was signalling to boone and jack to come see something?

[drabauer]

Two other possibilities for Johanna: 1) the shark, 2) currents produced by a turbine in the ocean itself.

[merry slug]

IMO, if it'd been the shark there would have been a whole lot more thrashing around and/or body parts washing up on shore.

[JerichoHill]

Nice theory Max. I appreciate the thought and logic of it. Sounds like it works.