Former Miami Dolphin falls off boat, swims 9 miles to shore Rob Konrad says he saw Coast Guard searc

[Bobcat]

PALM BEACH, Fla. —In an amazing feat of endurance, former Miami Dolphins running back Rob Konrad made it safely ashore in Palm Beach after falling off his fishing boat in the ocean late Wednesday night, and swimming for nine miles.

...
According to the Coast Guard, they searched for Konrad after he didn't return from a fishing trip.

Konrad told them he was idling in his fishing boat, caught a fish, and while trying to land it, fell off the boat.

The boat kept going and Konrad started swimming in the cold, dark ocean.

More than 10 hours later, he made it ashore in Palm Beach, and walked up to the oceanfront mansion of the late Palm Beach attorney Robert Montgomery, where he told a police officer what happened.

A source said Konrad was barefoot and wearing only his underwear at the time. He was taken to a hospital and treated for signs of hypothermia.

He told police that he saw the Coast Guard helicopter's search light go past him in the ocean, but the spotters didn't see him.

Calls to Konrad's financial consulting business were not returned.

Konrad lives in Boynton Beach.



Read more: http://www.wpbf.com/news/former-mia...swims-9-hours-to-shore/30602720#ixzz3OKG17Kep

 

[Serious News]

Investigation Closed on Ex-Miami Dolphin's Boating Accident, 16-Hour Swim
By MICHAEL S. JAMES and SUSANNA KIM

Officials have closed an investigation into the boating accident that forced former Miami Dolphins player Robert Konrad to swim about 16 hours to shore.

An incident report released by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission details Konrad's account given to law enforcement after he reached shore early on Jan. 8, including an estimate that his boat's damages would cost $70,000.

The Bahamian government notified the U.S. Coast Guard that it found Konrad's vessel in Grand Bahamas around Dead Man's Reef on Jan. 9, according to the incident report.
Konrad, 38, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1999 to 2004, told emergency responders that he'd fallen off his boat around 1 p.m. Jan. 7 as it continued on autopilot toward the Bahamas.



Konrad told authorities he was taking his vessel from Boca Raton, Florida, to Riviera Beach in the Bahamas for "routine maintenance," according to the report.

"Konrad decided he would recreational fish as he cruised to Riviera Beach," the report said.

A police video shows Konrad as he sat huddled in a police car in Palm Beach, Florida, shivering under a blanket with the heat cranked all the way up in the early hours of Jan. 8.
Authorities met with Konrad and his attorney, William Rafferty, on Jan. 14 at Good Samaritan Hospital to record a witness statement. They met again on Jan. 29 at Mariner Marine in Riviera Beach to photograph the damage to the boat. A staff member at the business estimated the damage at $70,000. The law enforcement report lists damage to his boat, including damaged windows, gear cases on both motors and the bottom gel coat and fiberglass.

Konrad later recounted his ordeal for the media, saying he "prayed to God" after falling from his 38-foot boat as he was trying to reel in a fish just as a large wave hit.

"I shouldn't be here," Konrad told reporters.

He described the frustration of seeing Coast Guard helicopters that didn't spot him. He faced darkness, 10-foot waves and 25-mile-per-hour winds while his boat moved away on autopilot. Despite being stung by jellyfish and seeing a shark circle him, he kept swimming.

Once he reached shore, he said it was "bittersweet" because he couldn't walk.

"I had hypothermia and my body was shaking uncontrollably. I didn't realize it was five in the morning," he said.

Konrad and his attorney did not respond to a request for comment

http://abcnews.go.com/US/investigat...ns-boating-accident-16-hour/story?id=29216968

 

[Ratickle]

Still one of the luckiest guys ever.

 

[Serious News]

Video Shows Ex-Miami Dolphin Rob Konrad's Shock at Learning He Swam 16 Hours to Shore

Video & Entire Article - http://abcnews.go.com/US/video-shows-miami-dolphin-rob-konrads-shock-learning/story?id=29202745

Former Miami Dolphins player Robert Konrad couldn't believe it when he was told he swam 16 hours to the Florida shore after falling off his boat into the Atlantic Ocean, according to video that has surfaced of emergency responders comforting him after his ordeal.

"You are a lucky son of a b****," a voice can be heard telling Konrad as he sat huddled in a police car in Palm Beach, Florida, shivering under a blanket with the heat cranked all the way up in the early hours of Jan. 8.

Konrad, 38, who played for the Miami Dolphins from 1999 to 2004, had told the responders, including police and rescue workers, that he'd fallen off his boat around 1 p.m. as it continued on autopilot toward the Bahamas.

One official offers Konrad a seat in a vehicle as the other offers to look for another blanket.

"How far out were you?" one voice asks.

"About 10 miles," Konrad says. "I've been swimming since 1 o'clock."

"One o'clock in the afternoon?" the voice asks in disbelief.

"What time is it now?" Konrad asks.

"Like almost 5 o'clock in the morning," the voice responds.

"Shut the **** up," Konrad says with shock in his voice.

After asking for water, Konrad asks, "Is there any chance you have a phone ... to just let my family know I'm alive?"

Konrad dictates a number and a police officer can be heard telling Konrad's mother, "He's OK. He's a little cold and wet. He was in the water for a while but he's fine and we have the medics looking at him now."

The police video was obtained by radio personality Andy Slater of WINZ in Miami and confirmed as authentic by a Palm Beach Police spokesman.