Man Adrift At Sea for 30 Hours Says, " A Porpoise Gave Me Purpose"

A fisherman who spent 30 hours adrift at sea after his boat capsized has said he found the strength to survive through an encounter with a friendly porpoise.

Joey Trevino, 37, credited the creature with keeping him going when he was alone in the rocky waters off the Gulf of Mexico and all hoped seemed lost.

The father, from San Antonio, Texas, had been on a fishing trip with his uncle and two friends last Saturday when their 25ft boat began to take on water and sank, ABC News reported.

Joey Trevino, 37, was on a fishing trip with his uncle and two friends when their 25-foot boat sank in the rocky waters off the Gulf of Mexico Saturday. the father was adrift at sea for 30 hours before he was rescued.

"We noticed all the water coming on board and, the whole front of the boat started going up," Mr Trevino told the news channel.

All three men were wearing life vests, but Mr. Trevino drifted away from his companions, who were spotted by another vessel on Sunday and pulled to safety after 24 hours at sea.

Mr. Trevino waited alone for help to arrive and thought about his wife and children to give him the strength to keep going.

"You're looking at the clouds," he said. "You're looking at whatever to try to keep you focused."

Alone at sea, Mr. Trevino said that as he drifted he encountered a porpoise which gave him the strength to fight on and eventually swim to safety.

"He kind of bumped me, and I kind of rubbed him, and he kind of changed my attitude right there," Mr. Trevino said. "He kind of ... gives you hope."

Mr Trevino said the porpoise (file picture) changed his attitude and gave him hope of survival.

Despite bumps and bruises, along with cuts on his hands and a hoarse voice, Mr Trevino was lucky to escape without major injuries. The warm water temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico helped him avoid hypothermia.

Mr Trevino held on until crew members from an oil tanker heard his cries for help and called the Coast Guard who lifted him to safety.

"When he came up, he seemed very aware of his surroundings," said the Coast Guard's Guy Walkner. "He was shaking. We were able to give him a blanket."

Despite a few bumps and bruises, along with cuts on his hands and a hoarse voice, Mr. Trevino was lucky to escape without any major injuries.

The warm water temperatures of the Gulf of Mexico, which are in the mid-80s, helped him avoid the danger of hypothermia, despite the many hours he spent at sea.

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An 809 Pound Tiger Shark Caught in the Gulf of Mexico, Was Cooked and Served to More Than 90 Poor and Homeless Texans

Corpus Christi, Texas - An 809-pound tiger shark caught in the Gulf of Mexico earlier this month has been cooked and served to more than 90 poor and homeless Texans.

Timon's Ministries in Corpus Christi set up the donation of about 75 pounds of shark meat. Executive director Kae Berry tells the San Antonio Express-News that the 12-foot, 7-inch shark was the biggest fish ever donated to the center. A volunteer chef breaded and baked the meat.

Fisherman Ryan Spring, of San Antonio, had said he caught the shark after reeling it in for more than seven hours.

"It was like playing tug-of-war with a giant," Springs told KSAT-TV. "He’s pulling us and the water is just slapping against the back of boat. It was like a scene from the movie 'Jaws.'"

He said reeling in the giant predator marked the end of an epic battle.

"It’s hard to explain this thing about a fisherman fighting a fish," Springs told the TV station. "You’re probably just talking to yourself but you feel like you’re talking to the fish and saying things you probably can’t say on TV."

Berry says the volunteer chef did a great job preparing the food and "most people really enjoyed it." And the center says there are enough leftovers to serve up some shark stew next week.

The newspaper said Spring's giant catch did not beat the Texas record for a tiger shark, which is 1,129 pounds caught in 1992 by Chap Cain, according to the Texas Parks and Wildlife.

The world record for a tiger shark catch is 1,785 pounds, which was caught in 2004 off the coast of Australia, according to the International Game Fish Association.

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