Lost At Sea

This dispatch is from AOL news, about a pair rescued from the high seas.

“The pair quenched their thirst with sea water and slipped into the ocean to cool off, but sharks chased them back onto the boat. At night, they used a single wet suit to keep warm.

The teenagers had set out shark fishing on a 14-foot Sunfish during a blustery day. The National Weather Service had warned small boats to stay off the water and the pair realized they were in trouble almost immediately. They tried to swim to shore, pulling the boat along with them.

They yelled to people on the beach, but weren’t heard. Within hours, the boys were out to sea. The pair lost their tackle the second day.

“We didn’t even get a chance to fish,” Driscoll told The Post and Courier of Charleston, S.C. “After 20 minutes we knew we were in for a long trip. We knew we were in trouble.”

At one point, the teens thought they had drifted across the Atlantic Ocean and were close to Africa. Instead, they were about 111 miles north – well outside the Coast Guard’s search grid – but close enough to spot a fishing boat.

The only thing Driscoll ate was jellyfish; Long feared the jellyfish would make him sick and that he’d lose his bearings. He gargled saltwater a couple of times a day to keep his throat from drying out.

“What we have is an absolutely miraculous story of survival that’s going to be studied for years to come,” said Richard Goerling, Long’s uncle. “I think those two boys have a book to write.”