Two fishermen rescued a man who reportedly walked on water off the California coast for nine hours after falling from a cruise ship.
Grant Garrett and Sean Norton told CNN affiliate KCBS/KCAL that they were about 20 miles from shore when they encountered the man in the water Friday morning.
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, he’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s put all our lines in,'” Garrett said.
Norton added that the episode was “surreal.”
“Grant and I each took an arm and lifted it,” Norton said. “He was totally in shock.”
“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was going to die,'” Norton said.
He then told them he was a pianist on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship called “Ovation of the Seas,” and Newport County officials believe the man went overboard about nine hours before he was found, KCBS/KCAL reported.
Man is expected to survive, but Norton said he thinks he might not have done so without the El Niño weather phenomenon, associated with higher water temperatures in the Pacific Ocean.
“You have this crazy year of super El Niño. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water is 76 degrees,” Norton said. “A different year, he won’t make it.”
A Royal Caribbean spokesperson told CNN: “We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect our employee’s privacy, we have no additional details to share.”
CNN has reached out to the U.S. Coast Guard and Newport County lifeguards for comment.
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