‘El Niño saved the day’ for cruise ship pianist who spent 9 hours in Pacific Ocean

LOS ANGELES — After a cruise ship employee plunged into the Pacific Ocean to his likely death, the pianist experienced a series of incredible reversals of fortune — and suddenly became one of the luckiest people on the high seas. The man survived about nine hours treading water before fishermen reeled him in about halfway between Newport Beach and Catalina Island around midday on Friday, Nov. 6. He appeared to be in shock but was expected to survive. kAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^4CF:D:?8]@C8^D:E6D^5672F=E^7:=6D^a_ad\_b^C6A@CE0@A6C2E:@?2=0:?4:56?ED0a_`h\G\`]A57Qmp44@C5:?8 E@ 2 DEF5J 4@>>:DD:@?65k^2m 3J E96 rCF:D6 {:?6D x?E6C?2E:@?2= pDD@4:2E:@?[ `f_ A6@A=6 — ``f A2DD6?86CD 2?5 db 4C6H>6>36CD — H6?E @G6C3@2C5 7C@> a__h E@ a_`h] ~?=J cg[ @C agT[ H6C6 C6D4F65]k^Am kAmqFE E9:D >2? 362E E96 @55D 3642FD6 6G6CJE9:?8 H6?E C:89E — 7C@> E96 9:DE@C:4 H2C> @462? E6>A6C2EFC6 C:89E 5@H? E@ E96 EJA6 @7 7:D9 2 A2:C @7 }6HA@CE q6249 >6? H6C6 492D:?8]k^Am kAm“tG6CJ 4@?5:E:@? 96 H2D 6IA@D65 E@ H2D @AE:>2= 7@C DFCG:G2=[” D2:5 }6HA@CE q6249 =:768F2C5 q2EE2=:@? r9:67 |:<6 &C6[ H9@ 92D 366? @? E96 ;@3 7@C c_ J62CD]k^Am kAm%96 #@J2= r2C:3362? D9:A ~G2E:@? @7 E96 $62D H2D 962565 7C@> $2? !65C@ E@ t?D6?252 H96? E96 >2?[ H9@D6 ?2>6 92D ?@E 366? 2??@F?465[ D@>69@H H6?E @G6C3@2C5 7C@> E96 `e\564< G6DD6= 23@FE `ib_ 2]>] uC:52J]k^Am kAm}2E:@?2= (62E96C $6CG:46 >6E6@C@=@8:DE zJ=6 (966=6C[ DA62<:?8 @? |@?52J[ }@G] h[ D2:5 E92E 9:DE@C:42==J[ E96 2G6C286 @462? E6>A6C2EFC6 7@C E92E 52E6 :? E96 2C62 H96C6 E96 >2? H2D C6D4F65 :D eb 568C66D]k^Am kAmwJA@E96C>:2 42? D6E :? 2E 2=>@DE 2?J H2E6C E6>A6C2EFC6[ 244@C5:?8 E@ E96 r6?E6CD 7@C s:D62D6 r@?EC@= 2?5 !C6G6?E:@?[ 3FE :E 364@>6D >@C6 @7 2 E9C62E 36=@H f_ 568C66D] wJA@E96C>:2 42FD6D J@FC 3@5J E@ =@D6 962E 72DE6C E92? :E :D AC@5F465] {6?8E9J 6IA@DFC6 FD6D FA J@FC 3@5J’D DE@C65 6?6C8J 2?5 42? =625 E@ :>A2:C65 E9:?<:?8 2?5 3@5J >@G6>6?ED]k^Am kAmqFE |@?52J[ 2E E96 t==6? qC@H?:?8 $4C:AAD |6>@C:2= !:6C :? {2 y@==2[ E96 H2E6C E6>A6C2EFC6 H2D fd 568C66D]k^Am kAm“%9:D E:>6 @7 J62C[ E92E’D AC6EEJ 2DE@F?5:?8[” (966=6C D2:5] “}@E @?=J E92E[ 3FE AC:@C E@ E9:D J62C[ 2E E9:D A@:?E :? E96 D62D@?[ H6 92G6 ?6G6C D66? E6>A6C2EFC6D 6G6? 2E E9:D A@:?E] |@DE @7 }@G6>36C 92D ?6G6C D66? D62 DFC7246 E6>A6C2EFC6D @G6C f_ :? {2 y@==2]”k^Am kAm%96 t= }:ñ@ 4@?5:E:@? D6?E 8:2?E A@@=D @7 H2C> H2E6C — E96 tBF2E@C[ FA E96 4@2DE @7 r6?EC2= p>6C:42 2?5 E@ E96 4@2DE @77 $@FE96C? r2=:7@C?:2]k^Am kAmx? E96D6 E6>A6C2EFC6D[ &C6 D2:5[ “56A6?5:?8 @? 9@H >2?J 42=@C:6D J@F 2C6 3FC?:?8[ J@F 4@F=5 =2DE 2? 9@FC E@ D6G6? 9@FCD] x7 J@F H6C6 DFA6C 5:2=65 :?[ J@F 4@F=5 AC@323=J =2DE ac 9@FCD]k^Am kAm“t= }:ñ@ D2G65 E96 52J 7@C E9:D 8FJ]”k^Am kAm%96C6 H2D >@C6 8@@5 H62E96C 7@CEF?6i %96 D] &C6 D2:5 6G6? >:=5 DH6==D 42? 5C2:? 2 A6CD@?’D 6?6C8J 2D 96 7:89ED E96 H2G6D E@ DE2J 27=@2E]k^Am kAm“~FE 96C6[” &C6 D2:5[ “J@F 4@F=5 7=@2E] %96D6 H6C6 8=2DDJ D62D]”k^Am kAmp?5 E92E 96=A65 7:D96C>6? $62? }@CE@? 2?5 vC2?E v2CC6EE DA@E E96 >2?]k^Am kAm%96J 925 366? 9F?E:?8 DH@C57:D9[ &C6 D2:5[ H9:49 >62?E E92E E96J 925 E@ <66A E96:C 6J6D @? E96 @462?]k^Am kAm“*@F 2C6 32D:42==J 5C:G:?8 2C@F?5 =@@<:?8 2E E96 D62 DFC7246 2?5 =@@<:?8 7@C 7:?D[” &C6 D2:5] “%96 D2>6 2D :7 J@F 2C6 =@@<:?8 7@C 2 A6CD@?]”k^Am kAm%96 >6? H6C6 C6EFC?:?8 7C@> 2 7:D9:?8 EC:A @? uC:52J H96? E96J DA@EE65 2 A6CD@? :? E96 H2E6C 23@FE a_ >:=6D @77 E96 >2:?=2?5[ k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^234f]4@>^A@DE^C@J2=\42C:3362?\4CF:D6\D9:A\H@C<6C\C6D4F65\?6HA@CE\36249\7:D96C>6?\8@:?8\@G6C3@2C5\@77\D@FE96C?\42=:7@C?:2\4@2DE^a__ad`ch^QmE96J E@=5 zpqr^fk^2m]k^Am kAm“x D2H 9:D 9625 @FE @7 E96 H2E6C[ 7=2:=:?8 9:D 92?5D ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 3:E 2?5 9:D 766E ;FDE 2 =:EE=6 3:E[ ;FDE E@ <66A 9:D 9625 23@G6 H2E6C D@ 96 4@F=5 3C62E96[” v2CC6EE E@=5 E96 E6=6G:D:@? ?6HD42DE] “(6 24E65 2D BF:4< 2D H6 4@F=5 E@ 8@ ECJ E@ 86E 9:> @FE @7 E96 H2E6C]”k^Am kAm%96J AF==65 E96 >2? 23@2C5 E96 DA@CE7:D9:?8 3@2E]k^Am kAm“w6 4@F=5 ?@E DE@A D92<:?8[ 2?5 96 4@F=5 ?@E E2=<[ 2?5 :E H2D 4=62C E@ FD E92E 96 H2D ?62C 562E9[” }@CE@? E@=5 E96 %' DE2E:@?]k^Am kAm%96 7:D96C>6? C25:@65 E96 r@2DE vF2C5[ 2?5 2 }6HA@CE q6249 =:768F2C5 5:DA2E496C >@?:E@C:?8 E96 6>6C86?4J 7C6BF6?4J 962C5 E96 42==[ &C6 D2:5]k^Am kAm{:768F2C5D @FE @? A2EC@= 962C5 E96 5:DEC6DD 42== 2D H6==]k^Am kAm“%96J DE2CE65 92F=:?8 @FE 2E 7F== DA665[” &C6 D2:5]k^Am kAm%96J C6?56KG@FD65 H:E9 E96 7:D96C>6? H:E9:? `d >:?FE6D] %96 G:4E:> H2D 4@?D4:@FD[ 3C62E9:?8 2?5 9JA@E96C>:4[ &C6 D2:5] {:768F2C5D DE23:=:K65 9:> 2?5 E@@< E96 >2? E@ E96 ~C2?86 r@F?EJ $96C:77’D ~77:46 5@4< :? }6HA@CE w2C3@C[ H96C6 A2C2>65:4D >6E E96>]k^Am kAm%96 r@2DE vF2C5 :D :?G6DE:82E:?8 9@H E96 >2? H@F?5 FA :? E96 @462?]k^Am kAm#@J2= r2C:3362? 5:5 ?@E C6DA@?5 E@ 2? 6>2:=65 C6BF6DE 7@C 4@>>6?E]k^Am kAm00000k^Am