Mobile Site

WKRG.com » News Stream » Weather »

Gulf Coast Man Survives 19 Hours In Gulf

By Steve Alexander Reporter

Long Beach, Mississippi man fights off strong currents and sharks. Gulf Coast Man Survives 19 Hours In Gulf

Published: Thu, July 24, 2008 - 8:50 pm Last Updated: Mon, August 11, 2008 - 3:40 pm

Steve Alexander

A Long Beach, Mississippi man fell off his boat near Ship Island Monday evening and spent 19 hours trying to swim and float back to shore.
29 year old Colin Rayner said he fought off strong currents, sharks and hallucinations.
It all started as a fishing trip about 6:00 Monday evening.
Rayner said he and a female friend were on his boat about six miles off the coast of Gulfport.
He said he went to go to the bathroom off the back of the boat without his life jacket, and his friend playfully pushed him.
Rayner said, "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."
Soon, the boat disappeared.
Rayner said it wasn't long before he saw rescue ships and a helicopter, but they didn't see him.
He said, "(The helicopter pilot) did some passes over me and around me and was close enough to where I saw the whites of his eyes. Finally, I saw that helicopter leave and I knew I was in some trouble."
As day turned into night, Rayner faced strong currents and other dangers.
He said, "Two sharks about fifteen minutes apart came and bumped my thigh and put their nose on it. The whole time I'm getting stung by jellyfish about every ten minutes everywhere."
Rayner said he even had hallucinations.
He said, "I was seeing beagles under the water. These beagles were just running around and playing and messing around with the sharks. I knew the beagles weren't real but I didn't know if the sharks (were)."
Finally, high tide eased the rip current and Rayner said he was able to swim to shore on Tuesday afternoon, 19 hours later.
He didn't give up, but he said he almost gave up twice.
Rayner said, "It was just peaceful, peaceful, and it was like something slapped me in the face and said, 'You idiot, you know, go now,' so I swam back up, and I thought about it. 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 was dehydrated, but not seriously hurt.

Video

Enlarge Video

Download Video

Video RSS

Embed:

WKRG.com Related Resources

News –› Mississippi

News –› Gulfport

News –› Long Beach

Discuss this in the forum

Those who Recommended this also liked:

Recommend

Email to a Friend

Printer Friendly

The wife Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 9:09 am

Something is very fishy.

• Report Abuse

Tide Fan Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 8:39 am

Yep…I agree…Skeptical is putting my feeling of it mildly….On the verge of calling the whole thing BS.

• Report Abuse

cmb1 Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:56 am

I’m with you RNuts my husband would never take the key out of the ignition, and i would do all i could to throw him something! Please WKRG get the rest of the story.

• Report Abuse

RNuts Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:52 am

His story is full of horse hockey. I am lifetime boater. There is never a reason to take the key out of the ignition to use the bathroom. I know that his girlfriend may have been an inexperienced boater but he or she should have had enough sense to have her throw a life jacket or cushion at the least. Also he could have swam long enough to keep up with the boat while she rigged a throwable with a rope tied to it. I also believe his story of the helicopter pilot and search lights missing him is bull. I participate in search and rescue and the only live people we do not find are the ones that do not want to be found. I hope some reporter is thinking the same things we are. It would be interesting to find out the true story.

• Report Abuse

cmb1 Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:43 am

Theres a whole lot more to this story? Was she trying to collect insurance?

• Report Abuse

Tide Fan Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:22 am

After further review…I think theres a whole lot of salt and pepper added to his story….That big-ole-boy treaded water for 19 hours???? Saw the whites of the pilots eyes??? He swam 6 miles to shore??? Oh well….if it is true, its amazing to say the least..and perhaps the luckiest person ive ever seen.

• Report Abuse

Tide Fan Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:15 am

LOL…Yall are right…theres alot not being said here…The key in his shorts???? Stupid there..never remove the ignition key while in a boat…I know hindsight is always 20/20 but dang…this whole thing just sounds stupid…it reeks of alcohol….....But the guy is lucky…IMO..There maybe a little salt & pepper added to his recollection of events.

• Report Abuse

brianemery Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 7:06 am

After further investigation, found out that he had the key in his shorts, the boat drifted off, he was trying to swim and grab the boat but kept missing it. His female friend was the one who called the coast guard.

• Report Abuse

brianemery Says:

Fri, Jul 25, 2008 at 6:54 am

I agree with previous post, what ever happened to the lady? The way the story sounds is that he was using the bathroom off the back of the boat, then she gave him a push off the back, if she pushed him, she was watching him fall into the water and she didnt stop the boat. Did she not know how to operate the boat and just drove off not knowing how to turn around or stop the boat? Sounds like she wasnt that bright if she is pushing the guy who drives the boat off into the gulf.

• Report Abuse

oliveoyl Says:

Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 10:00 pm

Please finish the story. Did the lady just drive the boat off? Why? Why did she leave him? Did she notify the Coast guard? I see the boat in his yard. How did he get it back? Did the lady drive the boat to shore and home? If the lady deliberately left him in the water is she in jail now. Could she have at least thrown a life jacket out to him? This is the craziest most unfinished story I have ever heard. Please tell the rest of the story. Is this one of those Walter Wenchel stories that will be finished later. I really feel for Colin being left that long in the water and getting stung by jellyfish. I am glad he hung in there and made it to shore. God bless Mr Raynor.
OliveOyl

• Report Abuse