William Botibol is a compulsive gambler. While on a cruise he enters a betting pool to guess the number of miles the ship will travel in the course of twenty four hours. William gains some inside information when he learns that the ship is going to slow down to avoid an upcoming storm. Unfortunately, the storm passes, and the ship continues to speed on its course. He decides to force the ship to slow down by throwing himself overboard. He figures that when word gets out of someone going overboard the ship will slow down to get him. He picks out a witness and jumps overboard. The witness doesn't say a word. She's mentally ill and does not alert anyone to Williams' plight.