Former Miami Dolphins football player Rob Konrad survived a fall from his boat Wednesday and swam about 9 miles in the Atlantic Ocean before reaching land in Palm Beach, according to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Konrad, a fullback for the Dolphins from 1999-2004, was on a fishing excursion from Boca Raton to Lake Worth when he fell overboard from a 36-foot vessel, said Petty Officer Mark Barney, spokesman for the U.S. Coast Guard.
The boat was set on autopilot and drifted away from Konrad, who was fishing alone. It was not immediately known what caused him to fall, or how long he had been in the water. Konrad’s fishing trip began at about 10 a.m. Wednesday. When he failed to return later that day, his friends contacted the Coast Guard. A helicopter crew was dispatched and spent about two hours attempting to locate him, Barney said.
It was shortly after 4:30 a.m. Thursday, as the Coast Guard was preparing to send another aircraft to search, when crews from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office reported that Konrad had made it to shore.
He showed signs of hypothermia and was taken to an area hospital for treatment.
The boat drifted off in the direction of the Bahamas and its location was not known as of Thursday evening, Barney said.
