30-year-old Arne Murke and his brother Helge had been commissioned to deliver a yacht from Auckland to Brazil earlier this month, and the pair were in Tolaga Bay, New Zealand, when rough conditions caused the boom to swing and knock Arne into the water.
With no life jacket, Arne had to fight to stay afloat in the choppy water.
Speaking to the New Zealand Herald about the scary experience, Arne explained why his brother couldn’t save him:
I was dragged next to the boat for one or two seconds down in the water, but then the rope got loose luckily, and I was floating in the water not wearing any life jacket. Just my t-shirt, my jeans, that was all.
My brother started directly to get me but the swell was like three metres. He threw a life jacket with a rope overboard. I couldn’t reach that, it was already too far away. Then I think the motor exploded.
Luckily Arne’s survival instincts kicked in and he knew he had to take action. The 30-year-old recalled a technique used by Navy Seals, which saw him turn his jeans into a make-shift buoyancy aide.
He continued:
Luckily, I knew the trick with the jeans. Without the jeans I wouldn’t be here today, they were really the thing that saved me.
I saw it many years ago and I always thought if I ever go overboard without a life jacket I’m going to do that.
I took a deep breath, took out my jeans, made knots at the end of the legs and inflated the jeans; pull it over water and get air inside and then push it under water – I had like an improvised life vest.