Man Falls Off Cruise Ship, Survives 15 Hours In Gulf Of Mexico

It's a Thanksgiving miracle.

A Carnival cruise ship passenger fell overboard into the Gulf of Mexico and was found alive after 15 hours.

The 28-year-old passenger was at the Carnival Valor's bar at 11pm on Wednesday when he went to go to the bathroom and never came back, according to CNN.

However, his sister didn't notice he was gone until noon the next day when she alerted the ship's crew. The Cozumel, Mexico-bound ship began retracing its sailing path, while also alerting the US Coast Guard about the missing passenger.

A Carnival cruise ship passenger fell overboard and was rescued 15 hours later in the Gulf of Mexico. (RHONA WISE/AFP via Getty Images)

THE PASSENGER IS CURRENTLY IN STABLE CONDITION

Search and rescue crews began a land-and-sea rescue mission over a 200-mile area in the Gulf.

Miraculously, they found him alive Thursday night.

The unidentified man was still responsive when rescue teams located him in the 70-degree water. He was treated by emergency medical services before being transferred to a New Orleans hospital.

He is currently in stable condition.

Lt. Seth Gross of the US Coast Guard said he's never heard of anyone surviving by themselves for 15 hours in the water.

“I think it kind of blows the norm...out of the water here, and really just shows the will to live is something that you need to account for in every search-and-rescue case,” Gross said.

"It's just one of those Thanksgiving miracles," he added.

It's unclear how the passenger fell overboard.

Carnival Valor ship retraced its sailing path after being alerted a passenger had fallen overboard. (David Grunfeld, NOLA.com, The Times-Picayune/The New Orleans Advocate via AP)

Personally, I have so many questions that I need answered.

Did the guy try to just float on his back the whole time? Was he able to find some sort of debris for a bit and hold onto that?

Whenever I've treaded water before, I can maybe last 5 minutes before I'm like "it's over" and I give up. But for someone to go FIFTEEN HOURS?

Talk about bragging rights.