HOUSTON – The story of two men lost at sea -- pitched out of a boat and into the open water, all alone for two full days -- is an heroic story of survival against all odds.
Can you imagine being capsized by a rogue wave, thrown into Galveston Bay and tossed about on wild, stormy waters for 48 hours?
That's the horror story fishermen Michael Watkins and Ray Jacik are alive to talk about now.
Despite rough waves and huge winds and rain, these two men were determined to stay alive no matter what.
"Determined to stay alive no matter what," Watkins said. "All we kept telling each other is we're going to make it."
The men never had a chance to put their life jackets on. To stay alive, they clung to a floating beverage cooler.
In a rescue at sea, a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter crew spotted one of the men at 10:31 a.m. Wednesday. Rescuers spotted the other man about five minutes later.
The two were plucked out of the water and returned to shore.