Royal Caribbean pianist’s first words revealed after being saved following nine hours lost at sea

Three fishermen rescued a Royal Caribbean pianist who had been in the Pacific for nearly 10 hours after going overboard. Their discovery off Newport Beach may have saved his life, and the account highlights the dangers of being stranded in open water.

Grant Garrett, Sean Norton and Keith McDonnell spotted the man around noon, nearly 20 miles off the Southern California coast, and pulled him aboard their boat. He told them, “Thank you, I thought I was going to die”; officials then sent Newport Beach lifeguards to help, while Royal Caribbean said it was supporting the crew member and would not identify him. A lifeguard chief said prolonged exposure can bring hypothermia, dehydration and sun exposure.