Man Survives Treading Water For 5 Hours Before Being Rescued

[matcom]

<snip>

FALMOUTH, Mass. -- A man survived nearly five hours treading water in Buzzards Bay on Sunday morning wearing nothing but shorts and a tank top before being rescued by a passing boat, authorities said.

The man, identified by as Richard Sanger, was on a house boat in Great Harbor of Woods Hole, about a quarter mile offshore, early Sunday morning when he decided to go for a swim.

Falmouth Fire Lt. Bruce Girouard said Sanger was immediately swept away by strong currents. Coast Guard vessels, the Falmouth Fire Department dive team, state Environmental Police and volunteers searched the water but could not find Sanger.

Nearly five hours after he first went into the 68 degree water, and about 4 1/2 miles away, the pleasure boat Fanatic pulled him aboard, Girouard said.

Sanger was taken to Falmouth Hospital suffering from hypothermia. He is an experienced swimmer and scuba diver, and that probably helped him survive, Girouard said.

http://www.wftv.com/irresistible/4764889/detail.html

[Bullwinkle925]

1. Wow - what an ordeal. I'm glad he made it through. Was he unaware of

the currents in that area or was it freakish?

:shrug:

[Shell Beau]

2. Wow! I imagine his muscles were cramping so bad.

I didn't realize 68 degrees could cause hypothermia, but I guess for an extended time it could. That is amazing, though.

[SuperWonk]

3. 4.5 miles...

Is a long way to drift... must have been a wicked current.

[kick-ass-bob]

4. Only 5 hours? Didn't Thomas Magnum, PI do it for a whole day once?

:eyes:

I am not impressed.
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.:rofl:

[XemaSab]

5. I've always been amused by the name

"Falmouth."