Man rescued after floating for 31 hours in ocean

(U.S. Coast Guard)


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SAN ANTONIO — A Texas man who spent over a day floating in the ocean is recovering after the Coast Guard found him alive and well.

Joey Trevino, 37, was fishing with his uncle and friends when they encountered rocky waves.

“We started fishing and that's when we noticed all the water coming on board and … the whole front of the boat started going up,” Trevino told the Associated Press.

The boat sank too quickly for them to radio for help and they barely had time to grab life jackets. Trevino told ABC News that thinking about his family helped keep him sane. He also focused on his surroundings.

“You know, you're looking at the clouds, you're looking at whatever to try to keep focused,” he said.

After spending more than a day without any contact with people, Trevino told the Associated Press he wondered if he would ever be rescued.

“Should I just take off this jacket and let it be over?” Trevino said.

Fortunately, help was on its way. Trevino's friends and uncle had been rescued earlier in the day after a ship found them and they were able to alert the Coast Guard to Trevino's situation.

Still, it was luck that helped the Coast Guard spot him after floating adrift for more than 50 miles.

“It's obviously a large area and after having been in the water for 31 hours, you're susceptible to hypothermia and to dehydration,” said Nathan Allen of the U.S. Coast Guard. "But we had water temperatures in the mid-80s, which was to his advantage.”

Trevino does not have any major injuries besides a few bumps and bruises. He told the Associated Press he is happy to be back on land with his wife and children.

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Tracie Snowder

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