Sam Amico
A fisherman who had fallen off his boat and gone missing for two days is lucky to be alive. David Soares, 43, was clinging to a buoy when he was discovered and rescued by another fisherman off the coast of Brazil. Meanwhile, Soares’ boat had been found adrift in the Atlantic Ocean.
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He told local media he swam for four hours just to reach the buoy.
“The first 10 minutes were the most difficult because I wanted to get back to the boat at all costs,” he told Brazil’s G1 news.
He added that the current was much too strong for those plans, however.
Fisherman Survived by Clinging to Ocean Buoy
“The water was choppy and it was windy … so I decided to let myself be carried along by the current in order to use less energy,” he said.
Despite reaching the buoy four hours later, Soares wasn’t holding out hope he would actually make it.
“I thought I would die of cold before any help would arrive,” he said.
But after his family reported him missing, fellow fisherman set out to find him. Once they did, Soares said he was taken aback by the reaction.
“They were all crying,” he said.
As for Soares, well, he didn’t allow the scary ordeal to keep him down for long, After being treated for dehydration, he did what he believes he was called to do.
He is back on the water and has returned to fishing.
