Two fishermen from Newport Beach, California, rescued a 37-year-old Royal Caribbean crew member after finding him treading water nearly 20 miles off the Southern California coast. Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were returning from a fishing trip near Catalina Island on Friday, November 6, when their boat captain spotted a person struggling in the Pacific Ocean. The fishermen immediately stopped the boat, pulled in their fishing lines, and worked together to lift the man aboard. After recovering from the initial shock, the rescued crew member told them he was a pianist working on Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. Norton recalled that the man’s first words included, “Thank you. I thought I was gonna die.” Authorities believe he may have gone overboard at approximately 2:30 a.m., meaning he could have spent around nine hours in the water before being discovered.

Newport Beach lifeguards responded after the fishermen issued an emergency maritime call and assisted with getting the survivor to medical care. The U.S. Coast Guard confirmed that the man was hospitalized and was expected to survive, while investigators work to establish how he ended up in the ocean. His identity has not been publicly released, and Royal Caribbean said it is providing support and assistance to the employee while declining to disclose further details out of respect for his privacy. Norton suggested that unusually warm Pacific waters, reportedly around 76 degrees Fahrenheit, may have helped the man endure the lengthy ordeal. The rescue took place well offshore, with lifeguard officials estimating the distance at approximately 15 to 20 miles from the coast. What caused the crew member to go overboard—and how he remained afloat for so long—has not yet been publicly established.