(CNN) – When James Michael Grimes fell overboard from a Carnival cruise ship in the Gulf of Mexico, he said the sheer will to live, along with strength from God, kept him alive as he miraculously swam for what he believes was more than 15 hours.Grimes, 28, who described himself as an “average guy” who likes hunting, fishing, and being outdoors, was rescued late on Thanksgiving Day and told CNN he is “blessed to be here.”The Alabama native was onboard the Carnival Valor with 18 members of his family for the week of the Thanksgiving holiday. It was the night before Thanksgiving when Grimes, who was at an onboard bar with his sister, went to use a restroom around 11 p.m., his sister recalled, according to a Carnival statement to CNN.The last thing he remembers before regaining consciousness in the water was going to listen to live music aboard the ship with family, he said, and he doesn’t remember where, or how, he fell off the ship.
