Man treads water for 20 hours so he can retire

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Some recent news DW pointed me to (link has auto-start video among lots of ads):

Man Treads Water for 20 Hours While Awaiting Rescue After Fall From Fishing Boat - Inside Edition

"A 61-year-old man stranded in the Gulf of Mexico without a life jacket, tread water for 20 hours in a desperate bid to stay alive.

William Durden fell off his fishing boat Wednesday while fishing alone. He somehow was able to tread water off the coast of Florida for all those hours while awaiting rescue."

""I was thinking, I am so close at retiring at my present job, I am not going to get ripped off and die out here, ” Durden said."
 
If you live near the water everyone should learn drowned proof treading of water.
 
That sounds like me during this last year, and especially this last month, prior to FIRE...
 
You sure his first name was William? Not Tyler?
 
Blueskies123 said:
If you live near the water everyone should learn drowned proof treading of water.
Click to expand...
When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.
 
I was thinking his name was Bob.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
Birdie Num Nums said:
When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.
Click to expand...


When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.


Sent from my iPad using Early Retirement Forum
 
G8tr said:
When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.
Click to expand...
Yes, I learned that, too,in Boy Scouts. It's one of those things that looks a lot easier in the Handbook than it turned out to be. I think that was the closest I ever came to drowning--while treading water, getting your wet pants off, tying off both legs, flailing the open waist of the pants through the air above your head to inflate them--it was a lot of work. I think I ingested a quart of water before I finished!:)
Good times! I float a lot better now than I did as a wiry 13 year old!
 
Hmmmm......If I ever go out fishing or sailing by myself I think I'll wear a life vest!
 
samclem said:
Yes, I learned that, too,in Boy Scouts. It's one of those things that looks a lot easier in the Handbook than it turned out to be. I think that was the closest I ever came to drowning--while treading water, getting your wet pants off, tying off both legs, flailing the open waist of the pants through the air above your head to inflate them--it was a lot of work. I think I ingested a quart of water before I finished!:)
Good times! I float a lot better now than I did as a wiry 13 year old!
Click to expand...

+1

Can confirm. That pants off in the water then tie around the neck thing about did me in too.
 
Birdie Num Nums said:
When I was just a boy, I learned how to fully inflate my lungs and float on my back, without flailing around, slowly letting out air and then quickly re-inflating my lungs--which expends much less energy than "treading water." Your inflated lungs while floating on your back serve as an emergency life preserver of sorts. I still practice that back-floating technique when I'm at the local pool.
Click to expand...

My father use to do this to relax in our backyard pool when I was young. Can't say he actually took a nap that way but he would spend an hour or more and come in refreshed.
 
Much easier to go underwater to remove your pants, shoes, etc. That way you're not fighting to keep your head above water while doing that.
Also had it in boy scouts then again a few times during my career since I flew on helicopters offshore occasionally.
 
When I was at the US Naval Academy, one of the requirements to graduate was to jump in the pool fully clothed and swim around for 45 minutes like that. There was a requirement for how many laps you had to complete (something like 20 laps in an Olympic-sized pool) and you could not touch the side of the pool at any time (it was too deep for anyone to touch bottom). That was really, really hard. I can't imagine what it would take to swim for 20 hours in the open ocean.
 
When I was in the Navy there were various swim requirements. Which I couldn't/can't pass. More a needle dropped in water kinda guy. Operated schmooze mode to get my name on the fulfilled requirements list.

Decided no one was swimming to shore from mid-Pacific anyway, but did have a good looking inflatable vest with extra CO2 cartridges on the off chance I ended up in the water with no floating boat around.
 
G8tr said:
When I was in the Boy Scouts, we were taught to turn our pants into a makeshift life vest by tying the legs and using the belt to close the waist.
Click to expand...

I remember quite a few years ago a US Navy sailor fell off an aircraft carrier (I think it was at night) and used this technique until his ship ultimately found him.

As to the original posting here, all I can say is WOW that is one truly motivated guy.
 
Another good reason for pensions.
 
Great bit of endurance. Don't try the same thing in June in the Great Lakes.
 
Good thing I did not have to stay afloat for 20 hours before I could retire. Would not make it!
 
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