Stranded at sea tale becomes more elaborate amidst questions

PACIFIC OCEAN — It is not terribly uncommon for tales of survival to feature more than a dash of embellishment. Such stories always boil down to differentiating between what was said and what actually happened. The veracity of what two women described as a sail gone completely awry certainly has a fair share of skeptics, according to recent news reports. Jennifer Appel and Tasha Fuiava left Hawai’i aboard their boat in early May, reportedly setting sail for Tahiti. The women had their two dogs aboard, according to a New York Times report. The sail was set of course not too long after the women departed, according to news reports. Appel and Fuiava told the press their boat effectively became disabled after a three-day storm – ultimately setting them adrift. The duo stated they survived on a pasta diet and were threatened by tiger sharks ramming up against their vessel, according to a story published by Vice. They were eventually rescued, according to initial news reports, by a Taiwanese fishing boat. Some of their claims, however, have been disputed in recent weeks. A Nov. 1 New York Times article reported the women apparently had an emergency beacon on board but never activated the device. The same...