IT WAS JUST SECONDS.
WE WERE IN THE WATER
FLOATING WITH ALL OF THE
BAIT, ALL OF THE FISH WE
CAUGHT, THE CHUM, EVERYTHING
WAS ALL IN THE WATER.
I STAR STARTED THINKING
ABOUT, THIS IS GOING TO DRAW
IN SHARKS.
Reporter: THE SEAS WERE
GONE AS KEITH AND TWO OF HIS
BUDDIES HEADED OUT INTO THE
ATLANTIC FOR A DAY OF
DEEP-SEA FISHING.
30 MILES OUT, THE FISH WERE
BITING.
I WAS ENJOYING IT, A RED
SNAPPER WOULD TAKE OFF.
WAS AWESOME.
WE WERE THINKING AFTER WE
CHUM, LATER WE'RE GOING TO
CATCH SOME BIG SHIP.
Reporter: BUT A BOAT
THAT WAS PASSING BY WARNED
THEM ABOUT AN APPROACHING
STORM.
HE SAID HE WAS HEADING
HOME.
WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO
FISH ANOTHER HOUR AND HEAD
BACK IN.
GAVE OUR CALL SIGNS, AND HE
LEFT, AND WE WENT BACK TO
FISHING.
Reporter: AND THEN ONE
OF THEM TOLD KEITH HE
NOTICED WATER IN THE HULL.
I SAID TO KEEP FISHING
AND NOT TO WORRY ABOUT IT.
Reporter: BUT KEITH HAD
REALIZED THEY FORGOTTEN TO
TIGHTEN IT.
HE SAID, KEITH, THIS IS
REALLY SERIOUS.
AND I LOOKED BACK, AND WATER
WAS ALMOST UP TO HIS KNEES.
Reporter: KEITH KNEW
THEY WERE IN TROUBLE.
I TRIED TO GET AN S.O.S.
ON THE RADIO.
IT WAS DEBT.
AND THE MOTOR WAS GONE.
WE'VE GOT THREE MEN IN THE
BACK OF THE BOAT, AND ALL OF
THIS WATER IN IT, AND JUST A
SMALL WAVE CAME ON OVER THE
BACK, AND THE BOAT WAS IN
WATER.
WE GOT TO THE BOAT, AND SHE
WAS IN THE WATER WITH THE
BOW STICKING UP.
ONE MINUTE YOUR STANDING UP
ON SOMETHING, AND THE NEXT
MINUTE YOU'RE IN THE WATER
WITH YOUR CLOTHES ON AND IT
WAS EARLY JUNE, AND THE
WATER WAS STILL COLD.
I WENT UNDER THE VOTE THREE
OR FOUR TIMES AND GOT THREE
LIFEVESTS OUT.
BUT AFTER THREE OR FOUR
HOURS, THEY'RE SO FULL OF
WATER, YOU START TAKING THEM
OFF BECAUSE THEY BRING YOU
DOWN.
Reporter: THE MEN TOOK
TURNS TAKING CONTROL OF THE
BOW.
MY BIGGEST FEAR WAS, ARE
WE GOING TO BE FOUND.
I HADN'T TOLD ANYONE WE WERE
GOING FISHING.
Reporter: AND TO MAKE
THINGS WORSE, THE BAIT AND
CHUM WAS ALSO IN THE WATER
AND ATTRACTING UNWANTED
GUESTS.
I SAID, WE HAVE SHARKS.
THEY'RE IN WITH US.
THEY'RE CIRCLING US.
AND MORE SHARKS SHOWED UP
AND STARTED GETTING MOYER
VIOLENT AND RUNNING INTO
US.
I WAS JUST WORRIED ABOUT US
BEING EATEN.
THAT'S WHEN I SAID, WE'RE
NOT GOING TO MAKE IT.
Reporter: FINALLY, THE
STORM WAS UPON THEM.
I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE
LONGEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE.
YOU COULD NOT SEE WHAT WAS
OUT THERE.
WE HAD THREE BIG STORMS,
LIGHTNING STORMS.
Reporter: FACING DEATH,
KEITH STARTED PRAYING.
I STARTED PRAYING, ASKING
THE LORD TO FORGIVE ME FOR
THE THINGS I HAD DONE IN MY
LIFE.
I ASKED HIM TO FORGIVE ME
AND IF HE COULD, TAKE US OUT
THERE.
I WASN'T READY TO DIE.
Reporter: LATER THAT
NIGHT, THE STORM SUBSIDED.
ONE OF KEITH'S FRIENDS WHO
WAS AN ATHEIST HAD BEEN
WATCHING HIM.
AND HE WAS LIKE, IT'S
LIKE YOU'RE SOMEWHERE ELSE.
I SAID, I'M PRAYING TO MY
LORD, TO OPEN UP THE GATES
OF HEAVEN AND BRING ME IN.
HE SAID, YOU KNOW, KEITH, I
NEVER BELIEVED IN ANY OF
THAT.
AND I SAID REALLY?
AND HE SAID YEAH.
AND SO WE TALKED SOME MORE
AND WE PRAYED OVER IT, AND
HE ACCEPTED JESUS AS HIS
LORD AND SAVIOR RIGHT THERE
ON THE WATER.
Reporter: THE SHARKS
CONTINUED CIRCLING THEM
THROUGH THE NIGHT.
THE NEXT MORNING A SCHOOL OF
DOLPHINS APPEARED.
DOLPHINS WOULD SHOW UP,
AND THE SHARKS WOULD LEAVE.
BUT AS SOON AS THE DOLPHINS
WOULD LEAVE, THE SHARKS
WOULD COME BACK IN ON US.
Reporter: THE HOURS OF
STRUGGLING AND EXPOSURE TO
THE SUN AND SALTWATER WERE
TAKING A HEAVY TOLL.
YOU COULDN'T HARDLY TALK
BECAUSE YOUR TONGUE WAS
SWOLLEN FROM THE SUN AND THE
SALTWATER.
I THOUGHT, IT WOULD BE GREAT
TO STAND ON THE GROUND,
STAND ON THE EARTH AGAIN.
Reporter: MEANWHILE,
THE COAST GUARD HAD LAUNCHED
A SEARCH FOR THE MISSING
MEN.
BUT ANOTHER DAY HAD PASSED,
AND THE EXHAUSTED FISHERMEN
WERE CONVINCED THEY WOULD
DIE.
WE WERE STILL FIGHTING
JUST TO STAY AFLOAT, AND THE
BOAT IS COMING APART.
AND IT IS ALMOST GETTING
DARK AGAIN.
WE'RE GOING TO EITHER DROWN
OR STARVE OR BE EATEN BY
THESE SHARKS. BUT I SAID
NOBODY KNOWS WHAT WE'RE AT
AND WE'RE GOING TO DIE.
Reporter: THEN FINALLY
KEITH SAW A BOAT HEADING
THEIR WAY.
HE BROKE UP AN ANTENNA TO
CATCH THEIR EYE.
THAT'S WHAT CAUGHT THEIR
EYE, THAT ANTENNA WITH A
HANHANDKERCHIEF ON IT.
Reporter: AND THEY WERE
RESCUED BY THE LIFEGUARD.
ON THE WAY BACK, WE
TALKED, AND I SAID I KNOW
THE LORD WAS TAKING CARE OF
US.
THE LORD DIDN'T LET THE
SHARKS OPEN THEIR MOUTHS,
EITHER.
Reporter: THE MEN WERE
TREATED FOR EXTREME SUN
EXPOSURE AND DEHYDRATION.
FOR KEITH, THE TRAUMATIC
EXPERIENCE HAUNTED HIM FOR
YEARS.
AFTER WE WERE RESCUED, I
WOULD WAKE UP IN THE MORNING
AND BECAUSE OF ALL THE
STRESS AND WHAT HAPPENED OUT
THERE, I WOULD JUST START
CRYING AND BALLED FOR NO
REASON.
Reporter: IT TOOK A
WHILE, BUT HE RECOVERED.
TODAY HE OWNS A SUCCESSFUL
BUSINESS SELLING WAR ITEMS.
I AM NOT WORTHY.
I NEVER WAS WORTHY.
AND I DON'T THINK I WILL
EVER BE WORTHY OF THE LOVE
THAT THE LORD HAS FOR ME OR
ANYONE ELSE.
IF HE CAN LOVE ME, I KNOW HE
CAN LOVE EVERYBODY ELSE OUT THERE.
