James Michael Grimes was on a Carnival Valor cruise ship with his family for Thanksgiving when he fell over the edge into the open ocean. The 28-year-old had to quickly face his fears of drowning as he was treading water in the middle of the night.


Grimes said he downed a few drinks, won an air guitar contest, and then went unconscious as he fell overboard. He came to with no boat in sight, treading water with nothing but the clothes on his back. After a few moments of panic, all he could do was look up at the night sky and wait for someone else to come by. 



"I felt like I was given a chance right then. You're alive for a reason... that fall could've killed me, but I felt like from that moment on, I was trying to stay positive. And, you know when you're here, you're still alive for a reason. So, all you got to do now is swim and survive. I was hoping. They will start looking for me. They will find me eventually," He said.


Just off the Gulf of Mexico, he said that for over 20 hours he battled jellyfish, rip currents, and even came face to face with sharks. But it was his positive attitude and his desire to see his family again that he attributes to keeping him alive.



"I wanted to see my family and I was dead set on making it out of there. I was never accepting that this is it, this is going to be the end of my life. I'm 28 years old. I'm too young. This is not going to be it."


Carnival Valor made a statement saying they don't know how he could have fallen over. They have safety barriers that keep guests away from the water. They mentioned that guests should not climb on the rails or barriers.


Grimes was found by a freighter after 20 hours of swimming and treading water and picked up by the coast guard shortly after. He was returned to his family safe and sound.