Brighten Your Day

Father and son tread water 15 hours overnight in the Atlantic with help from Buzz Lightyear

April 5, 2013

12 year-old Christopher Marino and his father, Walter, treaded water for 15 hours overnight until they were finally rescued the next morning by a boater and the U.S. Coast Guard.

The Marino family was vacationing at Daytona Beach this past weekend when Christopher was caught in a current and swept out to deep water. His father, Walter swam after him. Now both stuck out in the ocean, the two needed to find some inspiration. Buzz Lightyear.

The famous character from the 'Toy Story' films was the motivation they needed to survive and never give in to the powerful ocean.

"Buzz Lightyear got us through," Walter said. "I'd be screaming 'To infinity, and beyond,' and then I would hear him, and it would get more and more distant until finally I couldn't hear anything else."

At approximately 8:00am the next day, a boater found Walter, alone, about 8 miles off shore. Two hours later the Coast Guard informed Walter they had found his son, and he was just fine. Christopher was rescued nearly a mile from where his father was found.

Walter was asked how his son handled spending all night in the dark ocean treading water.

"He was on an adventure," Marino said. "It was all just a day in the ocean for him. And it wasn't until the jellyfish started to sting that he started to freak out a bit."

"To infinity and beyond!"

Source: Fox News