A 61-year-old man stranded in the Gulf of Mexico without a life jacket, tread water for 20 hours in a desperate bid to stay alive. William Durden fell off his fishing boat Wednesday while fishing alone. He somehow was able to tread water off the coast of Florida for all those hours while awaiting rescue. Durden, a retired pilot, credits his Navy training for knowing what to do. “They teach you how to drown proof yourself, what position you need to be to stay above the water instead of below it,” he said.
From KFOR.com: Maybe it was his Navy training or his prayers, but a Florida fisherman is lucky to be alive after treading water in the Gulf of Mexico for 20 hours.
William Durden, 61, told Bay News 9 he was fishing by himself on his boat, when he fell overboard Wednesday on the Homosassa River north of Clearwater, Florida.
He was not wearing a life jacket.
Durden’s wife called authorities when he didn’t return home.
He was found the next day – about 15 nautical miles southeast of Aripeka, Florida – and rescued by the Coast Guard.Durden, who said he was a former Navy pilot, had been treading water for 20 hours.
How did he get through the ordeal? “I went through different phases. First couple hours: ‘I’ll find some way to wave down and get on somebody’s boat.’ Then, sundown comes, and: ‘I’m gonna have to plan for nighttime now.’”
Durden said making it through the night was “the hairiest part of the ordeal.” He got cold and started to shake, feeling “hypothermic.” When the sun came up, he kept thinking “I’m gonna get picked up today.”
His optimism paid off.
#BreakingNews @USCGSoutheast releases video of Homosassa boater #rescue. Thanks to @MyFWC for assistance! #partners pic.twitter.com/ZSlHiIMPr3
— USCGSoutheast (@USCGSoutheast) June 2, 2016
After two hours, he was spotted by a Coast Guard helicopter.
“I looked a little bit closer, and it had two arms, and it was waving at me. My adrenaline spiked,” USCG Petty Officer Jacob Latour told the affiliate. A Coast Guard rescue swimmer jumped in and was surprised to find Durden in good condition.
“It’s very rare that we find somebody, a single person in the water, especially after 20 hours with no life jacket, and it is very exciting that we found somebody,” Latour said.
His 22-foot boat was found by Florida Fish and Wildlife officials in St. Martin’s Key.
And, what about encounters with sea creatures? Durden said he felt fish hitting his legs but “was just praying that no big shark would come out and decide to have me for dinner.”
