Why is Odysseus the only survivor from his crew?

In Homer’s Odyssey, Odysseus is the sole survivor of his crew because his companions perish during a series of disastrous encounters throughout their long journey home from Troy.12

While Odysseus loses men at various stages—such as the Laestrygones, who destroyed 11 of his 12 ships, and the monster Scylla, who snatched six men—the final destruction of his remaining crew occurs on the island of Thrinacia. Despite explicit warnings, the crew plunders the sacred Cattle of the Sun belonging to the god Helios for food.123

Enraged by this sacrilege, Helios entreats Zeus to punish them. In response, Zeus sends a violent storm that destroys their ship, killing all the remaining crew members. Odysseus alone survives the wreck by clinging to a fig tree and later drifting on broken planks until he reaches the island of Calypso.12