Man who fell off boat while fishing rescued by Florida Coast Guard after 35 hours at sea

Footage from the US Coast Guard shows the moment Charles Gregory was rescued from his boat after nearly two days at sea

After 35 hours at sea, a 25-year-old man has been rescued after an early morning fishing trip took a turn for the worse.

Charles Gregory headed out fishing on Friday morning off the coast of St Augustine, Florida – something he had done many times before.

But the tide rose quicker than he thought and a wave hit his 12-foot boat, knocking him into the water.

He managed to get back on board but was quickly taken out to sea, and for nearly two days “struggled to stay alive” under the brutal Florida sun as he clung to the partially submerged boat.

He suffered jellyfish stings and spotted sharks, his father, Raymond Gregory, told CNN on Sunday.

"He was scared to death," Mr Gregory said.

"He said he’s had more conversations with God in that 30 hours than he’s had his whole life."

Boat crews pulled the amateur fisherman from the Atlantic Ocean on Saturday morning after an aircrew spotted him about 12 miles offshore, the US Coast Guard said in a news release.

Footage released by the Coast Guard shows the dramatic rescue and Mr Gregory seated in the inundated boat, its bow dipping beneath the surface of the water, before crews reached him.

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