Man Recalls Treading Water for 20 Hours After Falling Off Cruise Ship

In what some are calling a Thanksgiving miracle, a 28-year-old man who fell off a cruise ship was rescued after treading water for at least 20 hours. Now he’s talking about his harrowing ordeal and says he believes he’s still here for a reason.

James Michael Grimes is sharing his incredible story of survival after falling overboard the Carnival cruise ship Valor.

“My worst fear is drowning and that was something I didn’t want to have to face,” he tells “Good Morning America.” He doesn’t remember the events before he fell off the ship. He said he had a few drinks during the day but wasn’t inebriated. 

Grimes says the next thing he remembers is being in the Gulf of Mexico and the cruise ship was gone.

“I can’t float myself, even when I’m trying to. So there had to be … the Lord was with me while I was out there because something was holding me up the whole time I was passed out,” he says.

Grimes treaded water for nearly 20 hours, during which time he also battled sea creatures.

Miraculously, the Coast Guard spotted Grimes 20 miles off the coast of Louisiana.

He waved his socks around his head to try to get their attention and was eventually hoisted to safety.

Grimes survived the ordeal with no broken bones or scratches to speak of.

“The fall didn’t kill me, sea creatures didn’t kill me,” he says. “I felt like I was meant to get out of there.”

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