Two fishermen heading home from a marlin trip off Southern California pulled a Royal Caribbean crew member out of the Pacific on Nov. 6 after he had been in the water for about nine hours, CruiseHive reported. 

The man told his rescuers he was a pianist aboard the Ovation of the Seas. He was roughly 15 to 20 miles off the coast near Catalina Island, according to Newport Beach Lifeguard Battalion Chief Adam Yacenda, who described the spot as "pretty much in the middle of the ocean," per CBS LA.

Authorities estimate he went over the side at about 2:30 a.m., and the fishermen found him around noon. Grant Garrett, one of the two men aboard, recalled the moment the boat's captain spotted a person floating. "Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in," he said. Norton said he and Garrett "each got an arm and lifted him up." The crew made an emergency maritime call, and Newport Beach lifeguards took him to shore.

"Thank you. I thought I was gonna die," the man said, Norton recalled, adding that he was in "total shock." Norton said the warmer-than-usual water from a current super El Niño probably saved him: "A different year, no way he makes it." The man was hospitalized and is expected to survive, according to CBS LA, citing the Coast Guard.

The Ovation of the Seas had been on a four-night sailing from Los Angeles to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico, and returned to Los Angeles on the morning of Nov. 6, with guests disembarking at 7 a.m. as scheduled, CruiseHive reported. The Coast Guard is investigating how he ended up in the water, and no findings have been released. Royal Caribbean said it is "providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time" and has no more details to share, to respect his privacy.