A cruise ship employee was rescued after being found treading water approximately 20 miles (32 kilometres) off the coast of California, in what authorities believe may have been a remarkable nine-hour survival ordeal in the Pacific Ocean.
According to US media reports, the man, identified as a pianist working aboard the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Ovation of the Seas, was discovered by two fishermen near Catalina Island on Friday.
Fishermen Grant Garrett and Sean Norton spotted what initially appeared to be a person in the water.
“I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in,’” Garrett recalled.
The unidentified man was successfully pulled from the water and later taken to hospital in a stable condition. The US Coast Guard confirmed that it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident.
According to the fishermen, the man identified himself as a pianist employed on the Ovation of the Seas, a 14-deck cruise ship operated by Royal Caribbean.
Norton described the survivor’s emotional reaction after being rescued.
“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,’” Norton said.
In a statement, the Coast Guard said it had received a report from a “Good Samaritan” who had recovered a conscious individual from the ocean.
The rescued man was subsequently transferred to Newport Beach Lifeguards, who reportedly confirmed that he was an employee of the cruise ship.
Authorities have not yet released the man’s identity, nor have they confirmed how he entered the water. Investigators are continuing efforts to determine exactly what happened before the incident.
The dramatic rescue has drawn attention for the extraordinary survival story, with officials noting that spending hours in open ocean conditions can present severe risks including exhaustion, hypothermia, and dehydration.
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