I’m not sure anyone believes the story of former Syracuse and Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad surviving in the ocean for 10 hours as he swam back to shore to safety.
Konrad and his wife Tammy gave NFL.com’s Jeff Darlington a lap by lap of Konrad’s experience, including the avoided altercation with a band of sharks and jellyfish.
Former Dolphins FB Rob Konrad says, as he fights back tears, he was indeed 9 miles offshore when he was forced to begin swimming to shore.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Rob Konrad says he was in the water as rescue helicopters circled above, but they never saw him. He realized he was on his own. Incredible.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Rob Konrad was later diagnosed with hypothermia, severe dehydration and rhabdomyolysis, which is a breakdown of muscle fibers.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Konrad says he spent 16 hours in the water. “I shouldn’t be here,” he tells a group of assembled media in South Florida.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Konrad says he was bit by many jellyfish and circled by a shark while he was in the water — but shark eventually left. Is this Life of Pi?!
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
After 10 hours, fishing boat had lights on and was 50 yards away. “When the boat didn’t see me,” Konrad said. "I had to get my mind right."
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Rob Konrad says he eventually heard waves hitting the shore: “It was a beautiful sound.” …When he hit the shore, he couldn’t walk at first.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Konrad's wife is now taking questions from assembled media at this South Florida news conference: “It was a miracle that he made it home."
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Rob’s wife, Tammy Konrad, said she began to panic when her two daughters started to ask before going to bed, “Where’s daddy?"
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
Rob Konrad’s boat was eventually found off of — I’m not joking here — Dead Man’s Reef in Grand Bahama Island. That’s just chilling stuff.
— Jeff Darlington (@JeffDarlington) January 12, 2015
That’s incredible, whether you believe it or not.
