How a Fisherman's Watch Saved His Life After Floating 24 Hours

When Tom Hanks was stranded on a deserted island by himself in Cast Away, he had to improvise to survive as well as to grab the attention of any possible rescuers who came into his proximity. Most people are lucky enough to never find themselves in a life-or-death situation like this, but for one fisherman off the coast of New Zealand, it was a very real scenario he found himself in. 

It all started on Jan. 2 when the angler was fishing off New Zealand's North Island and fell in the water while trying to reel in a marlin. Once he was in the water, he was "unable to catch the idling boat as it meandered further out of reach," Whangamatā Police Sgt. Will Hamilton said in a statement, per NBC News. 

The man resolved to swim to the Aldermen Islands around 35 miles off the North Island’s east coast but was prevented from doing so due to strong currents. As a result, he "endured a cold night in the ocean, too exhausted to keep swimming."

He went on to spend nearly 24 hours floating in the water, and at one point a shark even swan by to "have a sniff." Finally, he was able to get the attention of three sharp-eyed fishermen in the distance using nothing but the watch on his wrist and the sun high above. 

The rescuers found the man "desperately trying to get their attention using the reflection of the sun on his watch." They pulled him out of the water and brought him to an ambulance crew on shore. 

"The man was hypothermic and exhausted when he was returned to land," Hamilton explained. He went on to commend the rescuers for spotting the watch reflection and saving the day. 

"The boaties did an absolute stellar job and without a doubt saved this man’s life," Hamilton continued. “Without the quick actions of the three gentlemen that retrieved him, this certainly would have had a tragic outcome." The unnamed man is staying out of the public eye, but Hamilton said he "wanted to go on record to thank [fishermen] Mike, Tyler, and James for rescuing him, along with all the emergency services involved."

“It is an absolute miracle the fisherman is still alive after the ordeal," he added. Meanwhile, the man's boat is still M.I.A., but his life-saving watch is still intact. "The boat may be missing, but the fisherman still has his watch."