Orlandoan survives fall from cruise ship

Michael Mankamyer plummeted 60 feet into the dark Atlantic Ocean early Friday as the Carnival Glory cruise ship chugged toward the Bahamas.

His godson and cruise-ship roommate, Sal Wega, 16, of Orlando thought Mankamyer was dead.

The 35-year-old Orlando man floated for more than eight hours, drifting 20 miles, before U.S. Coast Guard rescuers spotted him thrashing his arms in the surf about 30 miles east of Fort Lauderdale.

Petty Officer Ryan Coon spotted Mankamyer about 75 yards from the Coast Guard cutter Chandeleur.

"I knew that was our guy," Coon recalled. "I hollered out, 'Man overboard, portside!' "

The crew threw Mankamyer a life ring, and the shirtless passenger swam up and grabbed it.

A helicopter soon arrived and hovered overhead while a rescue diver jumped in the water and helped move him into a rescue basket.

About 10 minutes later, the cutter crew heard Mankamyer's voice crackle over the radio: "Thank you, guys."

"It was an overwhelming feeling that you felt from the gut of your stomach," crew member Jorge Heredia said....
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