Last Wednesday, Rob Konrad went fishing alone in his 36 foot Grady White boat. He left Deerfield Beach, FL and headed about nine miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. At about 1PM, with the boat trolling at about 5 knots on autopilot, Konrad fell overboard when struck by a wave while attempting to reel in a large fish. He was not wearing a flotation device and could only watch as his boat headed east toward the Bahamas. Remarkably, over the next 16 hours, Konrad swam the nine miles to shore, managing to crawl ashore on Palm Beach at 4:30 a.m. on Thursday. Konrad was taken to a local hospital, where he said he was treated for hypothermia and severe dehydration. He told his story at a press conference yesterday and appeared to be in good condition given his ordeal. Konrad was a professional football player from 1999–2004. The team he played for? The Miami Dolphins. Fortunately for all concerned, Konrad swims like one. Thanks to Irwin Bryan for contributing to this post.
Old Salt Blog
a virtual port of call for all those who love the sea , hosted by nautical novelist Rick Spilman
Was he wearing a PFD? Clearly, he didn’t have a PLB, which would have had him rescued in an hour or two.
Even better than being lucky is being prepared.
No PFD. Just a very strong backstroke.