Ex-NFL Player Recalls Epic Swim to Safety

[Bucktail]

'I'm Not Dying Tonight': Ex-NFL Player Recalls Epic Swim to Safety


NBC News
Jon Schuppe
January 12th 2015

Soon after tumbling off his small fishing boat 9 miles off the east coast of Florida last Wednesday, former Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad figured he didn't have long to live. A lifelong boater, he'd taken enough safety classes to know that he had about two or three hours in frigid late-afternoon waters before hypothermia or cramping set in. He scanned the horizon and saw no other boats. So he looked at the sun, pointed himself west, and began to swim.

Konrad, who is 6 foot 3 and more than 250 pounds, had set out from Boca Raton alone to get his 31-foot Grady-White serviced about 30 miles north in Riviera Beach. On the way, he'd started to fish, but a sudden wave knocked him overboard, and his boat, on autopilot, motored out of reach, he said. He wasn't wearing a life vest. He had no way to send an SOS. "I didn't think I was going to be found," Konrad said Monday during his first public comments on the ordeal.

He swam. The sun went down. Sharks circled him and jellyfish stung him, he said. He thought about his wife and young daughters. He prayed for help. "After some time I just said, 'Look, I'm not dying tonight and I'm going to make it to shore,'" Konrad said. About 10 hours in, he came within 50 yards of a recreational fishing boat and later found himself under a Coast Guard helicopter, he said. No one noticed him. "I realized at that point I was on my own," he said, his voice choking with emotion.

Then he saw lights on the horizon. Later came the sound of waves crashing on the shore. At about 4:30 a.m., after 16 hours of nonstop swimming, he washed up in Palm Beach, his body shaking too much to walk, he said. He warmed himself in the sand, then staggered to a nearby house, where a police officer summoned help. Konrad was treated at a nearby hospital for hypothermia and dehydration, and still appeared weak at the news conference, where an assistant had to help him climb a short row of steps. "I ended up in a boater's nightmare," he said. "And I was lucky enough to survive."

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/im-not-dying-tonight-ex-nfl-player-recalls-epic-swim-n284621

Below: Former Miami Dolphin Rob Konrad discusses his 9-mile swim to shore after falling off his boat at a news conference on Monday, Jan. 12, 2015. At his side is his wife Tammy.

[Eng 94]

He is dam lucky to have made it to shore, I don't think he would have been able to swim that far if it were not the fact that he was in great shape as a pro football player and one heck of a good swimmer.


If a picture means anything. His wife doesn't look to happy that he made it.

[Hunter 2]

This goes to show ya what you can accomplish if you stay focused and keep a positive attitude and don't give up.

No does not look happy.

[Bucktail]

The one thing that helped him was, not only was he a former football player, he was a Dolphin!

[IrishAyes]

The one thing that helped him was, not only was he a former football player, he was a Dolphin!

    

  One lucky individual there. 

I wonder what happened to his boat? Ever recovered? Heading east and therefore offshore and never to be seen again?

[Hunter 2]

Here ya go Joe,  found in the Bahamas.

Authorities tell TMZ Sports ... they have recovered the fishing boat that was carrying former Miami Dolphins player Robert Konrad -- the guy who miraculously swam 9 miles to shore.
The story is insane ... 38-year-old Konrad was knocked out of his boat off the coast of Florida -- and the boat, which was on autopilot, drifted away from him. Konrad spent between 10 and 12 hours swimming back to shore.
Now, the Coast Guard tells us they have found the boat -- which finally washed ashore on the Grand Bahamas Island.
As for Konrad, he was hospitalized for hypothermia ... but has since been released.
No word on if he plans to keep the boat.

[Hotrod]

WOW...

And she be like " I told you not to go fishing and look what happened"

[Eng 94]

WOW...

And she be like " I told you not to go fishing and look what happened"

Yeah that's why she looks so pissed!! Really though I think she was really stressed out when those pictures were taken,after all he was missing for quite some time.

[Capt. Carl]

He had taken enough boaters safety courses to know hypothermia would set in in 4 hours......but not to wear a life jacket when alone on a boat with nothing in sight 10 miles from shore. 

[Hunter 2]

A couple months ago I purchased CO2 charged inflatable life vests for the boat.  We will be wearing them when hauling the anchor or on night watch while fishing offshore. Bad weather too of course.  They are very comfortable and you forget your wearing them after awhile.

[IrishAyes]

He had taken enough boaters safety courses to know hypothermia would set in in 4 hours......but not to wear a life jacket when alone on a boat with nothing in sight 10 miles from shore. 

And we all do it because that stuff only happens to other people. javascript:void(0);

I'm guilty of it and I own two inflatables jackets like Eddie has. 

[Eng 94]

Yes that is true we all make those mistakes when we become to comfortable with the dangers of what we do. He was very fortunate,I bet he never does that again.

I like those vests Edie. How much do they cost. I you don't mind my asking.

[Hunter 2]

West marine runs sales on them often.  They cost between $75 and $100 on sale.  Several different types are available. 

Remember  "SAFTEY IS NO ACCIDENT"