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Westerly man in water for 11 hours says he fought death

Associated Press

Publication: theday.com

Published 07/19/2012 12:00 AM
Updated 07/19/2012 03:46 PM

Westerly (AP) — A Westerly man who fell off his lobster boat without a life jacket says he thought of resisting death for the 11 hours he was in the water.

Joseph Gross fell off his boat Tuesday, about eight miles from land. It later went aground around 7:30 p.m., alerting authorities that something was amiss.

Gross tells WPRO-AM that he figured he had a 90 percent chance of dying, but he chose the 10 percent chance of living.

He swam for land, and the tide carried him much of the way, but then the tide changed. By then he was exhausted.

He tells WBZ-AM he was physically and psychologically crushed by the time he was found around 3:30 a.m.

The 51-year-old is being treated for hypothermia at South County Hospital.

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