Cruise ship pianist rescued by fishermen after nine hours treading water in Pacific Ocean

Two fishermen rescued a man they believed had been treading water off California for nine hours after he fell from a cruise ship, according to KCBS/KCAL. Grant Garrett and Sean Norton said they were about 20 miles from shore on Friday morning when they found him in the water. “Stop the boat; let’s get all of our lines in,” Garrett recalled, describing the moment as surreal. Norton said he and Garrett each lifted the man from the sea; the employee was in total shock and told Norton, “Thank you. I thought I was gonna die.” He later said he was a pianist aboard Royal Caribbean’s Ovation of the Seas. Newport County officials believe he went overboard about nine hours earlier; he is expected to survive. Norton linked his survival to unusually warm water during the El Niño event, citing a reported 76-degree temperature, while Royal Caribbean said it was providing support and would not share extra details.