Man survived falling off Carnival cruise ship and swam with sharks for nearly 20 hours
A male passenger who recently fell into the sea while celebrating Thanksgiving aboard a Carnival Cruise has spoken out for the first time. Based on Good Morning AmericaPassenger James Michael Grimes has been missing for nearly 20 hours.
James Michael Grimes, 28, spoke out for the first time after boarding the Carnival cruise ship after being missing for nearly 20 hours. https://t.co/mZ4eFXBNQK
– ABC 7 Chicago (@ABC7Chicago) December 2, 2022
Grimes crashed into the waters of the Gulf of Mexico on Thanksgiving night. According to the report of Good Morning America28-year-old boy determined to return alive.
“Jellyfish, offshore currents and shark-infested waters”
Apparently, Grimes had only been on the cruise ship for a day before being reported missing by his sister. The two were last seen together at a restaurant after he won an air guitar competition.
The 28-year-old man then went to the bathroom and was never seen again.
Based on Good Morning America, it was the last memory Grimes could recall of that night. He believes the fall into the sea caused him to lose consciousness.
Next thing I know… I wake up. I was in the water with no boat in sight.
Despite the confusion and darkness that enveloped him, Grimes was determined to survive.
I felt like I was given a chance at that moment… you’re alive for a reason… that [fall] It might kill me, but I feel like from that moment on, I’m trying to stay positive. And, you know when you’re here, you’re alive for a reason. So all you have to do now is swim and survive. I was hoping… they would start looking for me… eventually they would find me.
Based on Good Morning America, Grimes apparently landed in an area known for feeding on sharks. And recall seemed to be approached by a strange being.
I was swimming in one direction, and I looked around, and I saw it out of the corner of my eye. It came to me very quickly, and I sank.
It’s not a shark, I don’t believe it. It was like a flatter mouth and came up and hit one of my legs, and I kicked it with the other. It scares me, not knowing what it is. All I can see is a fin.
Despite staying close to the unknown, Grimes says his deepest fear that night was drowning.
I wanted to see my family and I decided to leave. I never accepted that this was it, this would be the end of my life. I am 28 years old. I’m too young. This won’t be it.
James Michael Grimes told ABC News in an interview that he may have lost consciousness when he fell from Carnival Valor into the water, but was so determined to survive that he managed to keep himself afloat. https://t.co/RYv7Czvbda
– Daily Beast (@thedailybeast) December 2, 2022
the rescue
As night fell on Thanksgiving, Grimes met his last ray of hope. He said he spotted the light of an oil tanker and swam towards them.
That was my last burst of energy. The power that I had — I also used it almost bit by bit, to try to make it…
When a US Coast Guard helicopter arrived, they hoisted Grimes out of the water. At this point, he is floating 20 miles south of the Southwest Louisiana Pass, as reported by New York Post Office. He was shy at times due to hypothermia, shock and dehydration.
According to a statement from the Coast Guard, Grimes was subsequently transferred to await emergency medical services at New Orleans Lakefront Airport.
We greatly appreciate the effort of everyone, especially the US Coast Guard and the crew who discovered the underwater visitor. Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas regulated by US Coast Guard standards to prevent guests from falling. Visitors must never climb onto the tracks. The only way to get through is to deliberately climb up and over the safety barriers.
Grimes is confident that there is a “greater purpose” in his life
Grimes was on a five-day cruise ship with 18 family members. The ship was en route to Cozumel, a Mexican island in the Caribbean.
In an exclusive interview with Good Morning Americahe calls that night “Thanksgiving to remember” and says he now knows there is a “greater purpose” to his life.
EXCLUSIVE: James Michael Grimes says he stepped on water for nearly 20 hours after falling into the sea aboard a Carnival cruise ship on Thanksgiving night – battling jellyfish, offshore currents and polluted waters infected with sharks before being airlifted by the US Coast Guard.
@evapilgrim pic.twitter.com/DE4n6vdLhA
– Good Morning America (@GMA) December 2, 2022
I always thought there was a greater purpose to my life. Now, I know for sure that I intend to do something on this Earth. And, you know, I don’t know. It’s just that God is out there helping me, giving me strength, and helping me emerge.