Fisherman saved from drowning thanks to reflection of his watch | Abroad

The man, whose name has not been released by police, left with his boat on Tuesday for a one-day trip at sea near Whangamata. The man wanted to catch some rare fish. At one point he thought he saw a marlin in the water, a popular fish among anglers.

The man tried to hook the impressive saltwater fish, but fell overboard. While trying to get back on board, he was swept away by a strong current. In the distance the man saw an island (Aldermen Islands, ed.) where he wanted to sound the alarm, but he could not get there either because of the current. On the contrary, he was only dragged further away by the waves.

The man’s last hour seemed to have come to an end. He was about 35 miles off New Zealand’s North Island and there was no help in sight. A shark even came to “sniff” him for a while, fortunately without any further consequences. The man spent the night in the water and became increasingly exhausted and hypothermic.

The man’s fate took a miraculous twist the next day around 2 p.m., when three fishermen near Mayor Island noticed an “unusual reflection” in the water. It was the fisherman who had fallen overboard, who desperately tried to get their attention by reflecting the sun on his watch, writes ‘The New Zealand Herald‘. Rescuers plucked him from the water, immediately alerted police and headed towards Whangamata Marina.

The three fishermen – Taylor, Mike and James – said they did not know what they were experiencing. “It’s not something you expect 16 kilometers off Mayor Island,” Max White, the boat’s skipper, told the New Zealand newspaper. “The man was super cold and severely dehydrated. He had been awake for almost two days.” The drowning man is said to have muttered “glad to see you” to the skipper.

That the man is still alive is an “absolute miracle,” police Sergeant Will Hamilton said in a statement. These fishermen truly had eagle eyes. “Without the quick action of the three gentlemen who saved him, this would certainly have had a tragic outcome. The fishermen did a fantastic job and without a doubt saved this man’s life. Few stories end like this one, and the police cannot thank the trio enough.”

Authorities are still looking for the fisherman’s 40-foot boat. “The boat may be missing, but at least the fisherman still has his watch,” concluded police chief Hamilton. Presumably the man will cherish it for the rest of his life and will bring it up several times to tell his incredible story of survival.

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