Paul Anthony Carbullido Jr., 53, described his harrowing experience after being swept off a jet ski and adrift for 12 hours in the waters off Long Beach. Carbullido was on a sunset ride with his roommate, Donna Durbay, on Sunday evening when a wave capsized their jet skis.
While Durbay managed to reach a break wall, Carbullido was carried out to sea. Despite wearing a life jacket, he was unable to swim and found himself at the mercy of the dark, cold waters. "I was there all night, like just, just thinking of the worst," Carbullido told NBC Los Angeles. "I didn’t know which direction to go because it was real dark, you know? And I was just paddling, paddling." Durbay, an inexperienced rider herself, was unable to restart her jet ski after returning to it. She contacted the rental company to report the incident, stating, "My friend tipped over on his. We can’t get him in, and now it’s completely dark out, and I can’t see anything."
Authorities discovered an abandoned jet ski floating beyond the breakwater around 1:15 a.m. Monday, with a second jet ski found approximately 30 minutes later. Search crews continued looking through the night and into the morning.
Around 10:30 a.m. Monday, a Coast Guard helicopter spotted Carbullido approximately 2.5 miles off Seal Beach Pier. A rescue swimmer was deployed to pull him from the water. Carbullido was treated for hypothermia and is recovering in the hospital. "Oh, man, there was relief," he said. "I was like, if there’s a God out there, there was relief. I can’t describe it. I was ready to give up."