Former South Carolina quarterback Chris Smelley found himself lost at sea after launching his kayak off the coast of Grayton Beach, Florida, last week.
Smelly set out on his boat around 8:30 a.m. on Thursday, March 28, ostensibly to go fishing. The 37-year-old former athlete soon found himself being pushed further out to sea, eventually reaching about eight miles offshore.
“I was in a big, heavy kayak, and as soon as I hit the shore, the wind was blowing, much stronger than it was on the shore,” Smelly said. Saidaccording to people magazine. “I wish there was a story about being dragged away by a giant shark or fighting a sea monster, but it was really just nature, it was just the wind.”
Former SC college football star stranded in Gulf of Mexico rescued https://t.co/4yKGYH8GXd pic.twitter.com/GXWF7FdUMc
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Smelley, who played for the Gamecocks from 2006 to 2008, added that he felt his body helped keep him away from shore.
“My body was so upright, it was like a giant sail,” he said. “I was doing my best, but there was a long period where I was at the mercy of the wind.”
Eventually, Smelly’s wife became concerned when he did not return from boating. She eventually called the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, which in turn asked the Coast Guard to search for the former player.
“We’re at the beach a lot and we’ve done a lot of fishing. It’s really comfortable in the water,” Smelly claimed.
“I can’t say I was necessarily scared, but I did see rescue helicopters fly very close to me on several occasions, especially as the sun started to set, and they didn’t notice me. ‘ , I thought I’d spend the night at sea,’ he added.
“I had just caught a fish and was preparing to clean it up to give me the energy to continue paddling again when the rescue helicopter arrived,” he said.
South Carolina Gamecocks No. 7 Chris Smelley throws a pass against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Williams-Brice Stadium on November 8, 2008 in Columbia, South Carolina. South Carolina defeated the Razorbacks 34-21. (Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
The player, now a coach at American Christian Academy in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, joked that his wife won’t let him forget the incident any time soon.
“Well, at first she was a little upset with the love,” he said. “But yeah, I went out without my cell phone and without a life jacket. So I think the lesson was learned to understand that safety comes first when you’re out in those situations. .”
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