Unanswered Questions

Mississippi Gulfport The Coast Guard is investigating claims that a Mississippi man fought off sharks and swam 19 miles to shore after being pushed from a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

by WKRG Staff

Published: Fri, July 25, 2008 - 10:31 am CST

News 5 has confirmed the U.S. Coast Guard is still investigating claims that a Mississippi man fought off sharks and swam 19 miles to shore after being pushed from a boat in the Gulf of Mexico.

In an interview with News 5's Steve Alexander, 29-year-old Colin Rayner of Long Beach says he and a female friend were on his boat about six miles off the coast of Gulfport. Rayner says while urinating off the back of the boat without a life jacket, his friend playfully pushed him into the water.

"Before I knew it, she gave me a good shove on my back and I went in the water and the boat just started going", Rayner said.

He says he had the boat keys with him in the water, but the boat quickly disappeared. Rayner says he survived 19 hours swimming to shore and battled sharks, jellyfish and hallucinations, but refused to give up.

"'You idiot, you know, go now,' so I swam back up, and I thought about it", Rayner said. "My sister is getting married tomorrow, and my dad is having his 80th birthday next week and I said, not this week, you can't die, you won't die and that's when I said I will not die."

Rayner says he was dehydrated, but not seriously hurt.

As for the female friend, a Coast Guard spokesperson confirms she and the boat were located in the Gulf and were towed to shore by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. The Coast Guard spokesperson tells News 5 there are still unanswered questions in the case and the "investigation remains open'. The Long Beach Police Department is also investigating the case.

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meluck Says:

Wed, Aug 06, 2008 at 6:59 pm

This story is very strange indeed and the parts that are missing need to be told.

Tide Fan Says:

Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 11:51 am

Hey News 5….Would someone please give the Coast Guard a follow-up call on this….This story must have more to it…While I dont believe it…the coasties may not be able to disprove the guys story.

cmb1 Says:

Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 10:01 am

No this was not on Desperate Housewives. And there is more to this story?

asda Says:

Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 9:55 am

KxVx I don’t think you read the story or miss the part about the key to the boat being in his pocket. Something here does not add up right. I have grown up on the water and alot of his story does not seem like it really happened.

myopinion Says:

Wed, Jul 30, 2008 at 6:32 am

Wasn’t this just on “Desperate Housewives” last season?

KxVx Says:

Sat, Jul 26, 2008 at 1:22 pm

Sounds like attempted murder to me. Why would she shove someone with no life jacket off a boat then drive away? Why didn’t she get help? Sounds like she didn’t want him to make it to shore!

southfan1981 Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 10:48 pm

Well, at one point in the over 43 minute interview, he tells the newscaster he could see the bottom of the sound clearly. There were shoes down there and it was about four feet down. He would swim down to get them or flippers and he would come up empty handed. Well, everyone knows the water around there is pretty murky. If he could see the bottom at about four feet, why couldn’t he stand up? VEDDY VEDDY interestinct!

DEW26M Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 10:35 pm

I’m gonna have to file this as complete and total B/S!! Come on now, does this guy REALLY look like someone who can swim 19 hours? I’m in what I would consider excellent shape, and I can NOT swim for no 19 hours. The whole story seems fishy to me, why would he remove the keys from the boat while on the water? I think there’s more going on here than what is being told! Come on now, get to the truth!!!