Cruise ship pianist survives nine hours in Pacific Ocean after falling overboard

The man, a crew member of Royal Caribbean's 14-deck Ovation of the Seas, was rescued near Catalina Island on November 6, the BBC reported, citing US authorities and its American news partner CBS News.

Fishermen Grant Garrett and Sean Norton were out on their boat when they noticed something in the water.

"I'm like, 'Yeah, it's a human being. Stop the boat; let's get all of our lines in,'" Garrett recalled.

The man was conscious when they pulled him aboard.

"The only thing he said to me was, 'Thank you. I thought I was gonna die,'" Norton told CBS News.

According to lifeguard officials, the pianist may have fallen overboard at around 2:30 a.m., approximately nine hours before the fishermen found him.

The US Coast Guard confirmed that a private vessel had rescued a conscious man from the water. He was transferred to Newport Beach lifeguards and taken to a hospital in stable condition.

An unlikely helping hand from El Niño

Norton believes unusually warm ocean temperatures may have helped the pianist survive.

The water was approximately 76°F (24°C), considerably warmer than usual for the area.

"You have this crazy super El Niño year. This guy was in the water for probably 10 hours, but the water's 76 degrees," Norton said.

"A different year, no way he makes it."

Scientists monitoring the Pacific say the developing El Niño phenomenon is the strongest on record, with ocean temperatures approximately 3.05°C (5.5°F) above average, according to the BBC.

While warmer water may have reduced the risk of hypothermia, the precise role it played in the man's survival has not been medically established.

Royal Caribbean confirmed that the rescued man was a crew member but declined to provide further details, citing his privacy.

"We are providing support and assistance to our crew member during this difficult time," a company spokesperson told the BBC.

The Coast Guard is investigating how the man ended up in the ocean.