Capsize survivor: ‘I asked the Lord’ for help

Floating in the Sea of Cortez alone in shark-infested waters, his body nearing exhaustion and his mind starting to replay his entire life, Charles Gibson was in the midst of a 16-hour ordeal that concluded when he washed ashore on a nearby island.

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Gibson was one of the lucky ones from a holiday fishing expedition on a 115-foot catamaran that turned deadly over the weekend.

He was one of 43 people aboard a chartered fishing boat named “The Erik’’ that capsized around 60 miles south of San Felipe, Mexico, around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday after a series of battering 40-foot waves scattered its contents in the sea. Gibson is one of 35 dehydrated, sunburned and exhausted survivors who either swam to shore or were plucked from the water.

The U.S. Coast Guard and Mexican Navy are still searching by helicopter or boat for seven missing Americans, and one tourist is confirmed to be dead.

“For about nine of the 16 hours out there, I was alone,’’ Gibson told TODAY’s Carl Quintanilla on Tuesday in an exclusive interview. “I think it was a total of my life experience that I kept reflecting on — my family and friends and situations to help me continue to swim.’’

As Gibson neared what he termed “the big rock,’’ an island about five miles from where the boat sank, he was nearly killed trying to make it to land.

“First I was thrown into some huge boulders and I felt my body crushing so I had to jump out of there in order to keep from being knocked out or killed on the rocks,’’ Gibson said. “So I jumped to the other side, which was more of a smaller, rocky beach area, and I asked the Lord to kind of give me a hand to get to the shore.’’

Gibson rode a series of waves to shore, where he removed his life vest and posted it on a stick to notify any others of his presence.

“I found a corner and slept because my body was totally exhausted,’’ Gibson said.

Gibson, who is the chief of police at Contra Costa College in San Pablo, Calif., was part of a group of 27 men who had assembled for a fishing trip for the fifth straight year. Despite warnings that dangerous weather was approaching, the captain of “The Erik’’ reportedly decided to leave the pier in San Felipe regardless. The boat went out to sea on Saturday to begin what was supposed to be a weeklong expedition in an area prized for its sportfishing and natural beauty.

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“The port was closed,’’ crew member Jesus Sillas told NBC News. “There were no ships coming or going, but we left anyway.’’

There was no Mayday call, according to the Mexican Navy, so it took local fishermen and the ship’s cook to alert authorities to the disaster.

Gibson, who said he was not aware whether the captain allegedly had knowledge of the impending storm, was awoken at around 2 a.m. on Sunday as an electrical storm raged and a series of 40-foot waves engulfed the ship.

“My roommate came in and woke me up from a deep sleep and said, ‘Charles, we’re sinking. Get out,’’’ Gibson said. “That’s when I realized it was a problem.’’

Gibson needed the help of crew members to push and pull him up the stairs as the boat listed violently in the storm. He then turned and helped others.

“It was like a dream,’’ Gibson told NBC News. “It was like a movie. The realization came when the ship actually lowered itself into the water, kind of like the 'Titanic' movie.

“I just remember the smell of diesel fuel burning my skin, so we decided to swim for land, and it seemed a little closer than it was.’’

Gibson said that as far as he could see, everyone had a life vest as they tumbled into the warm waters. Seven of them clung to a large cooler for safety, but Gibson and others soon found themselves alone in their fight for survival.

“We tried to swim to a light we saw on the horizon, and after about 3 hours we figured it wasn’t working because the light didn’t get any closer,’’ he said. “We decided to swim for shore, and we all got separated.’’

So began an ordeal that Gibson will never forget, and one that may have dissuaded him from taking any more fishing trips in Mexico.

“Yes, I would hesitate,’’ Gibson said when asked if he would go on another trip.