The man had gone out into the ocean alone on January 2 to fish. When he was about 55 kilometers away from the town of Whangamata on the North Island, he was bitten.
And big too. There was probably a large marlin, a type of swordfish, hanging on the line, which pulled so hard that the man fell overboard.
Strong current
He watched his boat slowly disappear from view and then attempted to swim to the nearby Alderman Islands. But the current was too strong. He then managed to stay afloat for almost 24 hours.
A great physical achievement, especially considering that he became exhausted and suffered severe hypothermia. He also received a visit from a shark who, according to him, ‘came for a sniff’.
Ultimately, the man was rescued when other fishermen spotted him due to an unusual reflection in the water. The drowning man had managed to indicate his location via his watch. He did this by letting the sunlight reflect on the clock and thus signal where he was.
Physical hardship
The first thing the man said when he saw his rescuers was, with a sense of understatement: ‘Glad to see you!’ The drowning man had severe hypothermia and dehydration symptoms. He was completely exhausted from the physical rigors and the fact that he had not slept for two days.
He made a significant recovery after being wrapped in blankets and given water and cranberry juice by his rescuers. Upon returning to port he was rushed to hospital. He’s doing well now.
It is not yet clear what happened to his boat, which is still being investigated.
2024-01-05 08:20:33
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