NFL Dolphin swims for survival

NFL Dolphin swims for survival

Miami Dolphins ex-fullback, Ron Konrad, swam nine miles to the shores of Southern Florida after falling off his boat on January 8th, 2015.

Konrad, 38, went fishing on his 36-foot Grady White boat from Deerfield Beach, Florida, at about 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, January 7th. He departed alone about nine miles offshore. A large wave hit his boat while it was on autopilot, knocking him overboard while his boat continued to head east for the Bahamas. Recognizing he was not wearing a flotation device, he swam the long distance to shore, alternating between the breast stroke and backstroke. Recalled in a recent press conference in Plantation, Florida, during Konrad’s desperate swim, jellyfish stung him and he was once circled by a shark. On top of that, Konrad realized he was in the initial stages of hypothermia.

“I quickly realized I was in a real bad situation,” said Konrad. “I made a decision that I was going to start swimming toward shore, west.”

Konrad approached a fishing vessel while gasping for air, but no one saw or heard him. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Gabe Somma told CNN that Palm Beach authorities contacted the Coast Guard to report that Konrad was missing and to have a helicopter take flight to look for the former fullback. Konrad shared that a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter indeed came searching for him, but flew right over him.

“They had come right over the top of me,” said Konrad. “That was a difficult time. I realized at that point in time … I was on my own.”

After spending over ten hours in the ocean swimming nine miles, he reached the shore of Palm Beach on Thursday afternoon. Police were alerted by security guards in the area and Ron Konrad was taken to a hospital. He was treated for numerous symptoms, such as hypothermia, severe dehydration, rhabdomyolysis and the destruction of muscle tissue. But Konrad seemed healthy in his press conference, explaining how he fought to reach shore, not only for him but his family as well.

“I’ve got two beautiful daughters,” Konrad said. “I was hitting shore.”

Konrad’s experience has awed distance swimmers across the US. Sid Cassidy, a nationally ranked distance swimmer, has swum a 22-mile course around Atlantic City, New Jersey five times. He’s trained in the same ocean in South Florida where Konrad fought against the odds for his survival.

“If you’re a good swimmer and you’re faced with an emergency, you could be capable of doing what he did,” said Cassidy. “Normally swimming a mile in the ocean could take 20 to 30 minutes — if a person is very fit. Most professional swimmers don’t attempt that many miles without help from a team providing hydration and nutrition.”

A former pro NFL athlete like Konrad must understand what it takes to endure pain and overcome it, Cassidy surmised. He would know how to focus and to stay tranquil, as well. Sitting next to her husband during the interview, Tammy Konrad said Rob has always been the kind of guy who has the determination to achieve his goals.

“Rob is a very powerful human being,” she said. “He set his mind on something and he does go after it.”