A former NFL player was treated for hypothermia at a Florida hospital Thursday after he was forced to swim nine miles to shore after falling out of his fishing boat.
WPBF reported that Rob Konrad had gone on a deep-sea fishing trip in the Atlantic Ocean Wednesday and was attempting to land a catch when he fell out of his 36-foot vessel. U.S. Coast Guard spokesman Petty Officer Mark Barney told the Palm Beach Post that the boat was set on autopilot and drifted away from Konrad as he tried to get back on board.
Konrad's friends contacted the Coast Guard when he failed to return from his excursion and a helicopter crew was dispatched in a fruitless effort to locate him. At around 4:30 a.m. local time, Thursday, Barney told the paper, the Coast Guard was preparing another search when they were contacted by Palm Beach County Sheriff's deputies, who told them that Konrad had been located.
WPBF reported that Konrad had managed to swim to shore in Palm Beach and had flagged down a police officer. The station reported that Konrad was barefoot and clad in only his underwear. The former Miami Dolphins fullback later told police that he had seen the lights of the Coast Guard helicopter overahead, but the crew had not spotted him.
Konrad played college football at Syracuse University, where he was the last player to wear the No. 44 previously worn by Syracuse greats Ernie Davis, Jim Brown, and Floyd Little. He later played six seasons in the NFL, all with the Dolphins before retiring after the 2004 season. He currently runs a financial consulting business.
