Man falls out of boat.

Former NFL player swims nine miles to shore after falling out of boat


Published January 09, 2015
| FoxNews.com
A former NFL player was treated for hypothermia at a Florida hospital Thursday after he was forced to swim nine miles to shore after falling out of his fishing boat.
WPBF reported that Rob Konrad had gone on a deep-sea fishing trip in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday and was attempting to land a catch when he fell out of his 36-foot vessel. U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Mark Barney told the Palm Beach Post that the boat was set on autopilot and drifted away from Konrad as he tried to get back on board.
Konrad's friends contacted the Coast Guard when he failed to return from his excursion and a helicopter crew was dispatched in a fruitless effort to locate him. At around 4:30 a.m. local time, Thursday, Barney told the paper, the Coast Guard was preparing another search when they were contacted by Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies, who told them that Konrad had been located.
WPBF reported that Konrad had managed to swim to shore in Palm Beach and had flagged down a police officer. The station reported that Konrad was barefoot and clad in only his underwear. The former Miami Dolphins fullback later told police that he had seen the lights of the Coast Guard helicopter overahead, but the crew had not spotted him.
Konrad played college football at Syracuse University, where he was the last player to wear the No. 44 previously worn by Syracuse greats Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, and Floyd Little. He later played six seasons in the NFL, all with the Dolphins before retiring after the 2004 season. He currently runs a financial consulting business.
Click for more from WPBF.com.
Click for more from the Palm Beach Post.

I guess he lost the fish.

So it doesn't say if he was wearing a PFD, but do you think a cheap beacon light on his PFD would have saved him! It also appears he was by himself. If he was then he is screwed up for not wearing a PFD.....

This sort of thing does scare me. Typically it is only my wife and I. Sometimes she naps, sometimes one of us goes below for food or a bathroom break while the other pilots, etc. If one of us were to fall over, it could be some time before the other noticed. The one thing we always do is wear an inflatable pfd unless below decks (sometimes even then - depending on circumstances). A rescue flasher and a mirror clipped to the pfd is always a good idea.

Ken

We have a law on our boat. While underway, EVERYON will wear a PFD. Don't want to wear a PFD, you do ride on our boat. This is especially true when it is just the Admiral and me. Before we cut the lines at the dock we both ensure we are wearing PFDs. If one of us goes outside to the cockpit, bow, engine room etc, that person aways tells the person piloting the boat. We also prohibit anyone from going to these outside areas if it is dark.

We recently added these to our inflatables: SafeLink R10

Helps to be in excellent physical shape. Also hard to swim with a pfd. If you decide to swim for it, probably going to ditch the pfd.

I bet he was peeing off the transom. Most dangerous activity afloat.

Did they find the boat? They can run a good distance on AP at trolling speed. Depending on the heading...

Ski in NC said:

Helps to be in excellent physical shape. Also hard to swim with a pfd. If you decide to swim for it, probably going to ditch the pfd.

Click to expand...

I think ditching a PDF if you're in open waters sounds like a bad idea. What if its longer than you thought? or current is working against you? I don't know about that.

No Mast said:

I think ditching a PDF if you're in open waters sounds like a bad idea. What if its longer than you thought? or current is working against you? I don't know about that.

Click to expand...

The rule is stick with the boat in your pfd....

If the boat motors off over the horizon....what then?

Have you ever tried to swim in a pfd or tow one?

not likely even an Olympic swimmer is going to make 9 miles in one...even towing it is doubtful...between a rock and a hard place there...definitely a bet on your abilities.

Certainly an inflatable pfd with signaling and p,b is the smartest.

I had to swim 3-4 miles to get back to land once. I did not have a PFD. I did have a westsuit and a broken windsurfing rig. I bundled the broken mast, sail, and boom to the board up as best as I could and tied a line from the board to a loop over my shoulder and started swimming. (A windsurfing board is to awkwardly shaped and uncomfortable to lay on and paddle, especially with other gear strapped to it.) The though of leaving the 'buoyant' board never occurred to me once, even though it slowed me down.. Ditching the other stuff did occur to me but, that was a lot of money to me back then so I decided to keep it.

Apparently a boat had seen me fall down and not get going again and called the fire department. The fire department ended up looking for me at the beach where my truck was, but never sent a boat out or called the CG (that I am aware of). But, sailing on a reach in the side/onshore wind conditions from the beach I launched from made it so the closest point of land was in the next town, which I swam for. When I was in the water, I couldnt see land at all, not even the radio towers. It was in the middle of the day and I knew which way to go, I even sort of knew where I would make landfall.

I never felt in danger at the time as I was a young healthy athlete. I hitched a ride from someone back to my truck (two towns over) and had to explain myself to the FD.

If I could only be young and invincible again.

News said he's 38 years old and was in the water 10-12 hours and swam ashore at 430 am. I have made the crossing by sail from North of West End to Ft. Pierce inlet which is a night sail in order to reach the inlet bouy at sun up and would not want to be out there swimming. I guess being able to see the shore lights and adreline boost helps but he is one lucky soul.

And the thought of toothy critters......

Toothy critters don't bother me. Fact is we are really not on their menu. Otherwise scuba diving would end differently all too often. Your only enemy out there are going to be panic or hypothermia as I see it.

No Mast said:

Toothy critters don't bother me. Fact is we are really not on their menu. Otherwise scuba diving would end differently all too often. Your only enemy out there are going to be panic or hypothermia as I see it.

Click to expand...

More than occasionally, shipwrecked survivors have succumbed to sharks.....but I only said "thoughts" which are a powerful motivator for some.

Pretty different scenario......scuba versus open water......

Of course, but one person in the water a feeding frenzy will not make.

Actually no, there is plenty of diving say 3-10 miles offshore. Not uncommon distance for someone to end up overboard in.

No Mast said:

Of course, but one person in the water a feeding frenzy will not make.

Click to expand...

Again ....my point was "what was in HIS mind"...not the sharks....

Also...feeding frenzy?....one bite would be more than most of us could handle on a 9 mile swim.....

Person on the bottom is different than on top...look at the surfers on the west coast...

However you cut it, he's one lucky (and tough) SOB.

dhmeissner said:

However you cut it, he's one lucky (and tough) SOB.

Click to expand...

Maybe SEAL material...where is the draft when you need it...different draft for him...

Agreed. I don't think I have that swim in me, but who knows never been tested like that, and hope not to.

Psneeld: I understand your point. On the frenzy comment, when you mentioned shipwrecked sailors succumbing to shark attacks, my first thought was the USS Indianapolis and others like it. In those situations yes sharks are a deadly problem. One person making for shore most likely not an issue. But again, I understand all you were talking about was what he thought

Man o' Man! One lucky dude that strong current was not against him. As another post mentioned... they locate his 36' boat?

dhmeissner said:

However you cut it, he's one lucky (and tough) SOB.

Click to expand...

So True!!!!