Three lucky fishermen have been rescued from shark-infested waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
The men were trapped in the water after their 24-foot fishing boat sank around 10 a.m. Saturday, leaving them without any means of contact.
Two of the men were blocking the shark with their hands when the rescue helicopter arrived, the U.S. Coast Guard Heartland said. They were later treated for shark bites and are in stable condition in hospital.
All three were at risk of hypothermia after being in the water for more than 24 hours.
Dramatic footage of the rescue showed the men in the sea wearing life jackets.
The U.S. Coast Guard station in Venice said a man was lifted from the water by a helicopter and two others were pulled into a rescue boat.
The men were rescued about 25 miles from Empire, a small community in southeast New Orleans.
The U.S. Coast Guard Heartland said a concerned family member reported the men missing Saturday night.
That sparked a search that spanned 1,250 square miles—slightly larger than Rhode Island.
In a Facebook post about the rescue, the guards said they were “rescued in a pinch”.
Investigators have not yet said what caused the fishing boat to sink, officials said, according to the Herald Sun.