This article is from the source 'washpo' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/ex-dolphins-player-tells-terrifying-story-of-nine-mile-swim-to-shore-after-falling-off-boat/2015/01/12/60a68910-e420-49e1-948f-b42648ff4010_story.html?wprss=rss_homepage
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 0 | Version 1 |
|---|---|
| Ex-Dolphins player tells terrifying story of nine-mile swim to shore after falling off boat | Ex-Dolphins player tells terrifying story of nine-mile swim to shore after falling off boat |
| (2 days later) | |
| The bare essentials of the story of Rob Konrad’s 16-hour survival last week in the Atlantic waters off Miami were arresting enough, but on Monday the former NFL player shared terrifying details, saying, “I shouldn’t be here.” | The bare essentials of the story of Rob Konrad’s 16-hour survival last week in the Atlantic waters off Miami were arresting enough, but on Monday the former NFL player shared terrifying details, saying, “I shouldn’t be here.” |
| Konrad, a former Miami Dolphins fullback, fell off his recreational boat while he was nine miles offshore. Twice, rescuers failed to see him while he battled jellyfish and a circling shark before washing up on shore. “I’m grateful and thankful to be here,” he said (via ESPN) during a news conference, with his wife Tammy by his side. Konrad was emotional and still bore physical signs of an ordeal that led to his hospitalization until Sunday. | Konrad, a former Miami Dolphins fullback, fell off his recreational boat while he was nine miles offshore. Twice, rescuers failed to see him while he battled jellyfish and a circling shark before washing up on shore. “I’m grateful and thankful to be here,” he said (via ESPN) during a news conference, with his wife Tammy by his side. Konrad was emotional and still bore physical signs of an ordeal that led to his hospitalization until Sunday. |
| Last Thursday, just an ordinary day, he had hopped on his boat to take it for servicing. Konrad, who put the boat on autopilot, had just cast a line at around 12:30 when a fish hit the line and the boat was struck by a big wave. Konrad quickly went overboard. | Last Thursday, just an ordinary day, he had hopped on his boat to take it for servicing. Konrad, who put the boat on autopilot, had just cast a line at around 12:30 when a fish hit the line and the boat was struck by a big wave. Konrad quickly went overboard. |
| Related: Need to survive in the ocean? It helps to be a fullback. | |
| “At that point in time, after panicking, I realized I was in real trouble,’’ he said. “I was miles out, the boat was on autopilot heading east to the Bahamas, I didn’t have time to get out an SOS call. I knew I was in trouble.” | “At that point in time, after panicking, I realized I was in real trouble,’’ he said. “I was miles out, the boat was on autopilot heading east to the Bahamas, I didn’t have time to get out an SOS call. I knew I was in trouble.” |
| Konrad, 38, grew up in New England and was experienced on the water. He knew he had just a few hours before hypothermia set in. He began to swim, thinking of his wife and 8- and 10-year-old daughters. | Konrad, 38, grew up in New England and was experienced on the water. He knew he had just a few hours before hypothermia set in. He began to swim, thinking of his wife and 8- and 10-year-old daughters. |
| “In the next 16 hours, I really had two opportunities for rescue,’’ he said. “At one point, as I swam into the night , there was a fishing boat, a recreational fishing boat, about 50 yards away. I tried to flag down the boat. It didn’t work out. A little bit later on, I saw the Coast Guard [helicopter]. They were out, searching the water. At that point in time, [they] came right over the top of me. They had lights on me, kept going. That was a difficult time. | “In the next 16 hours, I really had two opportunities for rescue,’’ he said. “At one point, as I swam into the night , there was a fishing boat, a recreational fishing boat, about 50 yards away. I tried to flag down the boat. It didn’t work out. A little bit later on, I saw the Coast Guard [helicopter]. They were out, searching the water. At that point in time, [they] came right over the top of me. They had lights on me, kept going. That was a difficult time. |
| “I realized at that point I was on my own.” | “I realized at that point I was on my own.” |
| Eventually, he washed up ashore, 27 miles from the point at which he had gone into the water, at around 4:30 a.m. Friday. | Eventually, he washed up ashore, 27 miles from the point at which he had gone into the water, at around 4:30 a.m. Friday. |
| “After some time I just said, ‘Look, I’m not dying tonight, I’m going to make it to shore ,’” he said. “It certainly tests your mind when you’re in the water that long.” | “After some time I just said, ‘Look, I’m not dying tonight, I’m going to make it to shore ,’” he said. “It certainly tests your mind when you’re in the water that long.” |