Matthew Bryce, the Scottish surfer who spent 32 hours adrift at sea, has spoken for the first time about his ordeal to the BBC.
He said he had “made himself at peace” while watching the sun set, believing he would not survive another night.
The 23-year old told BBC Scotland’s Jackie Bird how it had started as “just a normal day”.
He said he had driven to Westport car park in the Kintyre peninsula on Sunday morning, waxed his surfboard then gone into the sea about 11:00 to catch some waves but began to panic as tides and winds carried him out to sea.
“The wind and water was just relentless,” he said.
At one point he got back to within about a mile of land, only for the tide to change direction.
“It got to the point where my paddling was ineffective, but I was doing it to keep myself warm.”
“It was incredibly lonely and quiet because there was just nothing – just waves,” he said.
“I hadn’t seen any helicopters.
“I was thinking I was going to die – I was almost convinced.
“I didn’t think I would see sunrise.”
He then saw ships, and since he was well out of the coastguard search area, he decided to try and get into a shipping lane in the hope someone might see him. He continued to paddle towards the ships through the night. By daylight he was starting to pass out and fall off his board. He continued to drift through the day and as night approached again he said he was resigned for death.
“I knew I wasn’t going to make another night, so I was watching the sunset,” he said.
“Then a helicopter flew over me.”
“Beautiful sight”
“I owe them my life.”
Full interview here
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-39802553
