A man fell overboard from his boat while fishing off the coast of New Zealand.
For almost a day he drifted around in the sea – before the sun’s reflections saved him.
– It is a miracle that the fisherman survived, says the local police.
It was on Tuesday that the man fell over the railing of his twelve-metre long boat. He was out fishing on his own and didn’t get back on the boat.
Suddenly he was drifting around alone in the middle of the ocean, about five miles off the coast of New Zealand.
– He had to endure a cold night in the water, too exhausted to continue swimming, the police said in a statement.
The man says that on one occasion he was greeted by a shark that “sniffed” at him, but eventually left him alone.
The sun became his salvation
For almost 24 hours the man had been drifting in the sea, exhausted and chilled, when a group of fishermen spotted a reflection in the water. It was the sun that had reflected in the distressed man’s wristwatch.
The three fishermen managed to get the man out of the water and drove him to shore. An ambulance was waiting there to take him to the nearest hospital where he was treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.
– It is a miracle that the fisherman survived. Without the quick help of the three men, this could definitely have had a tragic end, say the local police.
They have still not succeeded in locating the man’s boat.