A cruise ship pianist was rescued after spending approximately nine hours in the Pacific Ocean, where he was found treading water nearly 20 miles off the coast of California by two fishermen returning from a fishing trip.
The rescue took place on Friday, November 6, when Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were heading back after fishing for marlin near Catalina Island in Los Angeles County. Their boat's captain spotted a person in the water, prompting the men to stop and investigate, CBS Los Angeles reported.
According to CBS Los Angeles, the fishermen pulled the man aboard their vessel after realising he was struggling to stay afloat. They then issued an emergency maritime call, following which Newport Beach lifeguards arrived to assist.
'I thought I was gonna die'
Recalling the moment they spotted the man, Garrett told CBS News, “I’m like, ‘Yeah, it’s a human being. Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in,'”
Norton described the rescue as a “surreal” experience. He said he and Garrett each grabbed one of the man's arms and lifted him onto their boat. The crew member appeared to be in shock after being pulled from the water.
“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,’” Norton recalled.
{{/usCountry}}“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,’” Norton recalled.
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Adam Yacenda, a lifeguard battalion chief with the City of Newport Beach, told CBS Los Angeles that the man was found around 15 to 20 miles offshore, in what he described as “pretty much in the middle of the ocean”.
Royal Caribbean pianist expected to survive
After recovering from the ordeal, the unidentified man told his rescuers that he worked as a pianist aboard Royal Caribbean's Ovation of the Seas cruise ship. Royal Caribbean is a global cruise line headquartered in Miami, Florida.
Authorities believe he had been in the water for approximately nine hours before the fishermen spotted him. He was subsequently taken to a hospital and is expected to survive, according to the US Coast Guard.
Norton suggested that relatively warm ocean temperatures may have helped the man stay alive for so long.
“You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water’s 76 degrees,” he said. “A different year, no way he makes it.”
Royal Caribbean responds
Royal Caribbean Group confirmed the incident and said it was providing assistance to the rescued employee.
In a statement to PEOPLE, a company spokesperson said, “We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time. To respect the privacy of our employee, we have no additional details to share.”
The US Coast Guard is investigating the incident, including the circumstances in which the pianist went overboard from the cruise ship. The circumstances surrounding how he ended up in the ocean have not yet been established.