NORTH PALM BEACH, Fla. — A North Palm Beach boat captain reunited Wednesday with a man he found in a raft stranded at sea off the coast of Georgia late last month.
The brief encounter left a lasting impression on both men.
Days after the rescue, Capt. Robert Brehm is still moved about the recent rescue.
He and his crew saved Paul Treloar, a South Carolina resident, after his shrimp boat overturned in rough weather conditions a week before Thanksgiving.
Now, two weeks later, they reconnected over the internet.
"I dreamed about having this conversation with you. Words are inadequate to say, 'thank you,'" Treloar said. "It was a nightmare of epic proportions. I kept going in and out of reality. I didn't know I could get that cold."
Treloar survived unbearable conditions before Brehm and his crew came along.
"I was literally frozen to death. I know there are a lot of sharks out there, and I kept getting thrown into the water. My fear was that my raft would get away from me," Treloar said.
He lost his mate at sea as the bitter cold and fierce wind intensified.
"I blame myself a lot. I have survivor's guilt. Although I almost died in the process, I still feel guilty that he didn't make it," Treloar said.
He continued to cling onto his raft and hoped for rescue.
After 30 hours, he spotted Brehm's vessel on the horizon.
"You can't imagine dying one minute and thinking this is definitely the end, and then you're rescued," Treloar said.
The crew pulled Treloar on board as the Coast Guard airlifted him to the hospital.
Though the emotional toil weighs heavy, he's grateful to be alive.
"I would like to remain friends with you and know you for the rest of my life," Treloar said to Brehm.
"Absolutely," Brehm replied.
