The watch saves a New Zealander from a shark who is at sea 24 hours a day

On 2nd January last, he went to the sea alone for fishing. He was about 55 kilometers from the town of Whangamata in the North Island when he was bitten.

And big. A large marlin, a kind of swordfish, was hanging on the line, and it pulled so hard that the man fell overboard.

Strong current

He watched his boat slowly disappear from view and then tried to swim to the nearby Alderman Islands. But the current was too strong. Then he was able to float for almost 24 hours.

A great physical feat, especially as he was exhausted and suffering from severe hypothermia. He received a visit from a shark which, according to him, 'came for a pimple'.

Eventually, the man was rescued when other fishermen spotted him due to an unusual reflection in the water. The drowned man was able to pinpoint his location through his watch. He did this by reflecting sunlight onto the clock.

Physical difficulty

The first thing the man said when he saw his rescuers was, 'Glad to see you!' The drowned person had signs of severe hypothermia and dehydration. He was completely exhausted from not sleeping for two days.

He made a remarkable recovery after being wrapped in blankets and given water and cranberry juice by his rescuers. On returning to port he was taken to hospital. He is fine now.

It is not yet clear what happened to his boat, which is still under investigation.