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Man Survives 16 Days At Sea After Running Out Of Gas On Way To Nassau

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WEST PALM BEACH (CBSMiami) – In a Facebook Live post on January 14th, Samuel Moss seemed excited to get back home to Nassau with the boat he just bought in Hialeah.

A couple hours later, Samuel's life was much different.

He ran out of gas and spent the next 16 days waiting for a rescue at sea.

Lost At Sea
Samuel Moss is grateful to be alive after being stranded at sea for over two weeks. (Source: CBS4)

Samuel's doing fine now. As a boater, diver and lifeguard he relied on his skills.  He purposely drifted into a high traffic area off the Florida coast.

"I saw a boat came close," he said, and "I hit a flare, then the boat stop. It must have taken me for police or something it just turn around and speed off."

Samuel survived on the limited food and water he had with him.

"I had like cheddar chips, Famous Amos [cookies] and Doritos," he said. "I would crush all of them in one to get like a big sugar high."

Around day 13 a big wave came and washed away his supplies.  Lucky for him the boat didn't sink and three days later he was spotted 10 miles off the Palm Beach coast.

When the coast guard got to him his body nearly gave out.

"I so tired," he recalled. "That's when all my strength just give and I just get, all the pain started into me."

With just some bumps and bruises, his doctor said he's very lucky.  He was in bad shape.

"His body already started to break down his muscles," said his ER Doctor Kevin Buford from St. Mary's Medical Center. "He had definitely gone in to what we call the starvation mode where his body was absorbing his own fat in order to survive."

Asked what's he's grateful for?

"Life," said Samuel. "Another shot at life."

Samuel will head home to Nassau next week.  This time, he plans to fly.

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