NORFOLK, Va. — A Carnival Cruise adventure turned into a water rescue mission over the Thanksgiving holiday.
“My worst fear is drowning and that was something I didn’t not want to have to face," said James Grimes, who told ABC News he fell off a Carnival Cruise ship.
The U.S. Coast Guard released video of the rescue of 28-year-old Grimes from the Gulf of Mexico.
Grimes said he fell from the ship on first day of the trip with his family, the day before Thanksgiving. Grimes told ABC News he didn’t remember falling from the ship, but said he was stranded for more than 20 hours.
“The fall didn’t kill me, and those sea creatures didn’t eat me. I felt like I was meant to get out of there," he said.
Shant’a Miller White is from Hampton. She said she was on the ship when Grimes went overboard.
“There’s a lot of missing pieces. But still grateful for the outcome because it could have gone a whole other way," she said.
Miller White was traveling with her husband and other family members. She said Carnival Cruise staff could have done a better job at letting other passengers know what was going on at the time. She said a lot of people on the ship were confused and concerned.
“It was very scary and I felt the boat picked up speed. Which I understand because they were probably trying to get back," said Miller White.
On Sunday, a Carnival Cruise spokesperson sent 13News Now the below statement when asked about the situation:
"We greatly appreciate the efforts of all, most especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the mariner who spotted Mr. Grimes in the water. Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that are regulated by U.S. Coast Guard standards that prevent a guest from falling off. No one should ever climb up on the rails. The only way to go overboard is to purposefully climb up and over the safety barriers. We'll defer to Coast Guard officials on any other information to be released," said a Carnival Cruise spokesperson.
Miller White said she's glad Grimes is okay, but she said that next time she'll find another way to spend her holiday.
“I know me personally. I don’t want to ever take a cruise again," said Miller White.
The company spokesperson said they followed safety protocols and conducted an investigation. They said they are thankful the Coast Guard found Grimes.