FIVE fishermen, including a pair of local California men known for appearing on the reality TV series, The Bachelorette, are lucky to be alive after their boat sank last week off San Diego.
The anglers were rescued after nearly four hours in the water.
Aaron Schwartzman, a firefighter, and Brayden Bowers, a travel nurse, reportedly met while filming the 20th season of The Bachelorette, and they are both listed as contestants on the ninth season of Bachelor in Paradise, which is scheduled to air later this month.
In less than 60 seconds, the boat had gone under, according to the survivors, and the five men went into the Pacific, bobbing in heavy swells.
"You think of the next steps, but what are the next steps when you're 15 miles in the ocean in a wind swell?", said Schwartzman.
"We weren't able to send a distress signal at all.
"The only thing you have out there is hope."
Fortunately, the group of swimmers were military, dispatch, and medical professionals, all trained for emergencies.
Bowers said the five men locked arms and started kicking and paddling toward shore.
It had been about 3.5 hours before two tuna fishermen spotted a flash in the water.
"We were looking for yellowfin tuna, then found a school of men," the fisherman who rescued the struggling swimmers told Fox-5 TV.
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