Montauk Lobsterman Rescued After 12 Hours At Sea

A fisherman is happy to be alive today after falling off his boat near the coast of Montauk, N.Y., in the early morning hours of Wednesday, July 24, treading water for 12 hours, and using his rubber boots as flotation devices, the New York Daily News is reporting.

The man, 45-year-old John Aldridge, fell into the shark-infested waters without his life vest as his crewmates slept, and managed to stay alive with only a T-shirt, shorts, and a pair of rubber boots, which he reportedly held under his arms to help him stay afloat.

The New York Coast Guard sprung to action as soon as they received the call from his crewmates, and along with a fleet of local fishing vessels they canvassed an area of 660 square miles before tracking him down eight hours later about 43 miles south of Montauk.

"It was pretty miraculous that we found him because this is rare," petty officer Erik Swanson with the New York Coast Guard told the Daily News.