At least three fishermen spent over 24 hours floating adrift in the Gulf of Mexico fighting off sharks as they waited to be rescued.
The group, which had set out on a fishing trip from Louisiana, found itself in the ocean after its boat sank, according to a report.
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Family members of the trio contacted the Coast Guard when their loved ones did not return, the report noted.
Rescue helicopters combed over at least 1,250 square miles of open waters as a rescue mission was launched.
The group was found 25 miles south of Empire, Louisiana, as it was actively fighting off sharks, according to the report.
Two of the men suffered injuries to their hands.
The men were retrieved and taken to receive medical care, and at least one man suffered from hypothermia.
Officials credit the men’s life jackets for saving their lives.
“We searched an area roughly the size of Rhode Island and are thankful to have found these missing boaters,” Lt. Cmdr. Kevin Keefe, a sector New Orleans Search and Rescue mission coordinator, said.
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“If the family member had not notified the Coast Guard, and if these three boaters were not wearing life jackets, this could’ve been a completely different outcome.”
