Fisherman Saved By Watch Reflection After 24 Hours Stranded At Sea

A man fishing off the coast of New Zealand is lucky to be alive after falling off his boat. The unidentified fisherman was trying to reel in a marlin when the fish pulled him into the water about 30 nautical miles from New Zealand's North Island.

The man's boat slowly floated away from his reach, leaving him stranded in the water. He decided to swim to the Aldermen Islands but was unable to get very far due to the strong current.

Whangamatā Police Sgt. Will Hamilton said the man "endured a cold night in the ocean, too exhausted to keep swimming."

After 23 hours of treading water, the man noticed a fishing boat in the distance and used the sun's reflection on his watch to get their attention.

The trio of fishermen went to investigate the reflection and pulled the man into their boat. They took him to the shore, where an ambulance was waiting to take him to the hospital, where he was treated for hypothermia and exhaustion.

"The man was hypothermic and exhausted when he was returned to land," Hamilton said.

The man told the fishermen that during the night, a shark approached him but didn't attack.

"The boaties did an absolutely stellar job and, without a doubt, saved this man's life," Hamilton said. "Without the quick actions of the three gentlemen that retrieved him, this certainly would have had a tragic outcome."