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Sandra Yi ReportingA man who lost his jet ski on Utah Lake and swam six miles to shore for help is talking about what happened. We met Chad Hardy as he returned one of the jet skis, to the rental shop today. The other one is still somewhere under Utah Lake.
Hardy told us he, his sister and their cousin decided to spend Monday afternoon on the lake. But what was meant to be a couple of hours of fun, turned into an eight-hour ordeal.
Chad Hardy: "People that end up missing on Utah Lake never show up. If they do, it's a body. So we kept thinking about all the stories that you hear about Utah Lake, and here we are, stuck in that."
But his didn't end as a horror story. Chad Hardy looks at it as a bonding experience with his 23-year old sister, Cherylyn.
Chad Hardy: "She's leaving to go on a mission on Wednesday."
The two now share an amazing story of strength and character. On Monday, one of their jet skis broke down in the middle of Utah Lake. They couldn't get back on it.
Chad Hardy: "So my cousin got on the other machine, which had our cell phone, which had our whistle. It had everything and he took off."
For four hours, Hardy and his sister waited by the broken-down jet ski. Oddly, their cousin had left them stranded and the nearest boaters couldn't see them.
Chad Hardy: "And we started to get cold. And that's when we started getting worried, if we start getting cold, this could get really bad."
The wind began to pick up and it was getting dark, so the pair decided to start swimming. That was around 9 o'clock. They swam nearly six miles.
Chad Hardy: "A little bit before 1:00, we actually hit shore. And that's when the real adventure started. There was every type of prickly bush and plant that you can imagine."
Barefoot, they used their life vests as shoes. The device saved their feet and their lives.
Chad Hardy: "These life vests saved our lives while we were out on the water, absolutely. I think it's so important that people realize, when you go out on the water, you've got to wear your life vest."
The siblings flagged down a motorist. They went to the hospital with the first stages of hypothermia. They soon found out, 40 people were looking for them.
Chad Hardy: "We had hundreds of people praying for us, and I believe that helped keep us warm and motivated."
Hardy still doesn't know why his cousin never returned with help. But he hopes, the two will someday be able to look back and share a good laugh about it.
