A former Miami Dolphin (talk about irony) managed to survive a 16-hour swim to shore after he fell from his fishing boat in Florida. 

Rob Konrad managed to survive falling off his fishing boat 9 miles off the coast of Florida by swimming for 16 hours to safety on he shore. Konrad, who gave a press conference yesterday about his ordeal, told a pretty amazing story of having to make the journey to shore.

He said that he had caught a large fish and was tending to it, with the boat on autopilot, when a huge wave hit the craft and sent him flying in to the water. After panicking briefly, Konrad said that he realised he "was in some real trouble", and decided to start swimming to shore, and his journey was fraught with danger.

He told the assembled media at his press conference that he had been bitten by "a whole bunch of stuff" while in the water, and was at one point circled by a shark, as well as having to deal with the general toll such a feat of endurance takes on the body.

Konrad said that he switched between backstroke and breaststroke in order to save energy, but he still ran the danger of succumbing to hypothermia while out in the water, as well as cramps after swimming for two to three hours.

Amazingly, he was almost rescued twice, but failed to attract the attention of a commercial vessel when it passed by. He was also passed over by a Coast Guard helicopter, who had their lights on him as they passed overhead looking for him, but didn't spot him either. At that point Konrad said he realised he was on his own and had to just keep going.

Konrad's journey to safety was 27 miles, and he spent 16 hours in the water, eventually getting to shore at 4.30 am

In total, Konrad's journey to safety was 27 miles, and he spent 16 hours in the water, eventually getting to shore at 4.30 am, when he said that he had to take time to warm himself up and stop his body from shaking just so that he could stand up and walk to go find help.

Konrad said that the thought of his eight and 10-year-old daughters and his family was what kept him going throughout his ordeal, and endurance swimmer Diana Nyad told ESPN that his feat was nothing short of "incredible": "We're not really talking about a swimming story. We're talking about a survival story. I'm sure his background as an athlete - toughness, having resolve, knowing things are going to be painful - were the saving grace for him".

Konrad is being treated for dehydration and hypothermia, but is expected to make a full recovery. As for the boat? Well...

Via The Independent. Main pic via Complex/YouTube