An Alabama man who fell off a cruise ship says he’s fortunate to be alive after surviving greater than 20 hours at sea.
James Michael Grimes says God gave him the energy to remain afloat after falling overboard a Carnival cruise ship within the Gulf of Mexico over the Thanksgiving vacation.
“My worst worry is drowning and that was one thing I didn’t need to need to face,” Grimes advised ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “I needed to see my household once more. I used to be useless set on making it out of there. I used to be by no means accepting that this was it, that this was going to be the tip of my life.”
It began when the 28-year-old left Lafayette, Alabama, and headed to New Orleans with 18 relations for the cruise of a lifetime.
The primary day began as a joyous celebration with tons of guffaws, meals, and drinks. Grimes even gained an air guitar contest held on the cruise.
However issues took a flip that night.
Round 11 p.m. Grimes advised his sister that he was going to make use of the restroom. What occurred subsequent is unclear.
All Grimes remembers is waking up in the course of the ocean with no ship in sight.
“After I got here to, regained consciousness, I used to be within the water with no boat in sight,” he stated. “I am unable to float myself, even once I’m attempting to. So there needed to be … the Lord was with me whereas I used to be on the market as a result of one thing was holding me up the entire time I used to be handed out.”
Grimes was within the Gulf of Mexico an space identified to be a feeding floor for sharks.
However he stated his religion gave him the sheer will to dwell; so he swam to the one mild he may see–a close-by oil rig that was 4 to 5 hours’ swim away.
“The Lord gave me the desire to dwell. It is a miracle,” he advised CNN. “I wasn’t going to surrender at any cut-off date simply say, that is it, that is the tip. It by no means got here to that. I used to be decided to swim till my legs and arms couldn’t maintain my physique up anymore.”
It could be almost 20 hours earlier than rescue groups would discover him.
Grimes fought onerous to outlive swimming via two colleges of jellyfish and watching the solar rise throughout his time within the water.
He even got here throughout an animal that he initially feared was a shark.
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“It got here up on me actually fast. And I went beneath, and I may see it. And it wasn’t a shark, I do not consider. But it surely had extra like a flat mouth, and it got here up and bumped one in every of my legs, and I kicked it with the opposite leg. It scared me, not understanding what it was … all I may see was a fin,” he defined.
He additionally ate no matter he may to maintain himself. A floating stick, which he described as bamboo gave him “some kind of taste” apart from saltwater.
In the meantime, his household reported him lacking at midday on Thanksgiving Day and the Coast guard was ordered to look inside a 7,000-mile radius to start out on the lookout for him.
Regardless of battling confusion, fatigue, and altering tide, Grimes says he was additionally having a heart-to-heart with God.
“I used to be form of wheeling and coping with God,” he advised CNN.
“The Lord was with me all the way in which,” he advised WVTM-13. “In a approach, it was a 20-hour Baptism that drew me nearer to God. I do know that God saved me for a cause, and now I’ve to abide by His plan.”
The Coast Guard positioned Grimes after looking for hours.
Aviation survival technician Richard Hoefle advised CBS Information Grimes had “an unimaginable will to outlive.” He added that Grimes was about 30 seconds away from drowning after they discovered him.
Though Grimes’ pores and skin was uncooked from the salt water, he didn’t maintain another wounds. He did, nonetheless, lose 20 kilos.
“I spent 4 days within the ICU and I am nonetheless sore, however I am OK,” he shared. “Treading water for 20 hours wore me out a bit.”
Grimes stated he’s grateful to have survived and the expertise modified his life.
“It was a Thanksgiving to recollect,” he added.
He additionally will not be ruling out one other cruise sooner or later.
“If that is the worst factor I ever need to undergo once more, I feel I will be OK,” Grimes stated. “Being the Alabama fan that I’m, I used to be on the market simply rolling with the tide.”
