Man overboard

I was reading a miraculous story this morning about a fisherman who survived 23 hours in the surf after falling overboard from his vessel. He eventually attracted a passing boat by using the sun to reflect off his watch, a great bit of ingenuity.

The man had hooked what he thought was a marlin when he fell overboard. He initially tried to reach his boat but that was drifting further away so he instead aimed for a nearby island but the currents prevented him from reaching this. He had been fishing alone.

He said he made himself small goals, at 2am, to get to dawn, for example. He was visited by a shark at one point and had a teary moment as he watched the evening’s sunset, which he thought might be his last.

The fact that he still had enough thinking capacity to use his watch as a light was remarkable enough, but surviving that long in salt water shows great endurance and fortitude. I could imagine there were likely demons to contend with throughout the night, especially when the shark visited. The human spirit can be amazing at times.

I have watched enough people recalling their Near Death Experiences on U Tube to know that many are told it is not their time and wake up from their experiences. I believe this fully, that our deaths are predetermined. Obviously, it was not this fisherman’s time to go. But I would imagine he gained a lot from his night in the sea. When faced with situations such as this, it very quickly becomes apparent what is important in our lives. I bet it wasn’t his boat or his possessions that he worried about that night, but the fact he mightn’t see his family again. We can become so caught up in consumerism that we sometimes forget the things that really bring us joy, our children, our pets, the flowers in our garden, the sunsets.

And another thing I bet is that this man will re evaluate his life. When it is so nearly taken from us, it becomes far clearer to see the things we had always meant to do or should have done. And I suspect there is a purpose as well, for this man, something he still needs to do on a soul level on this earth. I believe we all come in with tasks to fulfill. In the NDE’s, many people are told of their work ahead. Perhaps he wasn’t, but I bet he will live his life differently from now on.

His life wasn’t given to him on a plate, but it was still given to him. May he have many more happy years ahead.