In 2022, a man somehow survived 20 hours in shark-infested waters despite being “just seconds away from death.”

James Michael Grimes enjoyed the evening before Thanksgiving with his family on a Carnival cruise ship.

After becoming the “air guitar champion” on board, Grimes went to the bathroom around 11 p.m.

What happened next, however, remains a mystery to this day, because the next moment Grimes can remember is waking up in shark-infested waters somewhere near the Gulf of Mexico.

It really is the stuff nightmares are made of.

In conversation with Good morning America After the incident, Grimes said, “The next thing I remember is coming to. I was in the water and there was no boat in sight.”

Given the jellyfish, rip currents, and shark-infested waters, Grimes could easily have accepted his fate.

However, the then 28-year-old was determined to get out alive.

He added: “I felt like I was given a chance in that moment… you live for a reason… that (fall) could have killed me, but I felt like from that moment on I tried to stay positive.

“And you know, if you’re here, you’re still alive for a reason. So now all you have to do is swim and survive. I was hoping that they would start looking for me and that they would find me eventually.”

Grimes ended up in shark-infested waters after falling from a cruise ship. (Good Morning America)

Grimes’ family did not notice his disappearance until 12 hours after he was last seen.

However, when they noticed that he was missing, they immediately alerted the cruise crew, who then notified the U.S. Coast Guard.

It’s hard to believe, but Grimes was found 20 hours after falling from the ship and reunited with his loved ones.

In a statement provided to ABC News, the Coast Guard said: “We greatly appreciate the efforts of everyone, especially the U.S. Coast Guard and the sailor who discovered the guest in the water.”

“Cruise ships have safety barriers in all public areas that meet U.S. Coast Guard standards to prevent guests from falling. Guests should never climb on the railings.”

Somehow the US Coast Guard managed to spot him. (Good Morning America)

To satisfy his hunger, Grimes resorted to whatever he could find, all the while treading water. I mean, he couldn’t really be picky.

This led him to eat a floating stick which he thought was bamboo.

Grimes described the moment he saw a helicopter fly over him to rescue him: “The first thing I said to (the rescuer) was, ‘I have no clothes on,’ because I took off all my clothes, and he said, ‘That’s okay.'”

“I just thought, ‘Thank you. You’re like a guardian angel coming down for me.'”