Twenty-five-year-old Charles Gregory was enjoying a fishing trip early Friday off the coast of St. Augustine, Florida, when he found himself in dire need of help.
At one point, the tide began rising extremely fast, and a wave smashed into his 12-foot Jon boat, sending him plunging into the water. However, he eventually managed to struggle back into the small boat, KOMU reported Sunday.
Little did he know his troubles were not over because his vessel was swept out to sea, where he was lost for nearly two days in the burning sun.
In a social media post on Friday, the U.S. Coast Guard Southeast announced it was searching for the young man and shared photos of him:
For what seemed like an eternity, Gregory held on to the partially submerged boat while being stung by jellyfish and watching sharks circle nearby, his father, Raymond Gregory, later told reporters.
Raymond also noted, “He said he’s had more conversations with God in that 30 hours than he’s had his whole life.”
Finally, the Coast Guard found and rescued Gregory on Saturday after he floated 12 miles from shore, officials said in a press release.
Video footage shows crews helping the young man into their boat, and one person covered him in a blanket:
“We are pleased about the outcome in this case, and I would like to thank all of our local and state partners who were heavily involved in searching for Charles and bringing him home to his family,” Cmdr. Nick Barrow, the Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville search and rescue mission coordinator, stated, adding the situation highlighted the importance of boaters making sure they carry safety gear.
The exhausted young man is now safe at home, recovering from the ordeal. Images show him surrounded by loved ones:
Raymond is thankful for everyone who helped in the rescue and said, “At the end of the day, the whole moral of the story is ‘don’t ever give up.'”