25-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS LOST AT SEA FOR MORE THAN 30 HOURS TELLS HIS HARROWING SURVIVAL TALE FOR THE FIRST TIME

“I knew I was gonna die out there, it was only a matter of when.”

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New York, NY – Sept 13, 2023 – A young fisherman was rescued after being lost at sea in a tiny metal boat for over 30 hours. Now, Charlie Gregory is telling his incredible story of survival for the first time in an INSIDE EDITION exclusive airing Wednesday. 

“I knew I was gonna die out there, it was just a matter of when,” Gregory tells INSIDE EDITION.

He headed out on a fishing expedition in St. Augustine, FL, in a flimsy aluminum boat at three in the morning. “I went out to the same spot I always go fish, right on the inside of the jetties,” says Gregory.

Gregory had just anchored his boat and threw a line into the water when a huge wave came and overturned his boat, ripping it away from the anchor. Then, the receding waters of the low tide swept his boat out to sea.

He also says he lost his life jacket after the boat flipped over. “I flipped the boat over and got in it,” Gregory tells INSIDE EDITION. “It was full of water, but I was able to crank the motor and run it for a minute, and it just died out because it was flooded.”

Other boats passed, but he went unnoticed. “I was just screaming at the top of my lungs, and no one ever saw me,” says Gregory.

Clinging to his partially submerged boat in the scorching sun, he was severely sunburned. He was also covered in jellyfish stings. He says he even saw sharks. “They just come up underneath the boat and you know they’re every bit the length of my boat,” Gregory tells INSIDE EDITION.

Gregory’s parents, Raymond and Deborah, became worried when he hadn’t returned by the afternoon. They called the coast guard, and a massive search was launched. But by nightfall, there were still no signs of Gregory.

“I was just trying to reconcile the fact that I may never see my kid again,” says Raymond. “I knew in my heart we were the parents of a deceased child.”

Just when Gregory had given up hope of survival, having been out in the open sea for over 30 hours, a miracle happened. 

He heard the sound of the coast guard helicopter overhead. He waved his hands frantically. “It was the craziest moment,” Gregory tells INSIDE EDITION. “I was like, ‘Oh god, this is it. I don’t have to die out here.’”

After more than 30 hours at sea, he was rescued. He was taken to the hospital where he was treated for dehydration and severe burns.

For INSIDE EDITION’s full report, tune in on Wednesday, September 13th. Check local listings for times and stations in your area.   

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