A man fought off a shark and survived by eating bamboo for 20 hours after falling off a cruise ship.
James Michael Grimes has no clue how he ended up in the sea but insists he wasn't drunk despite celebrating winning an air guitar competition on the vessel.
The 28-year-old says he treaded water and ate bamboo after he plunged into the water while on a Thanksgiving cruise with 18 members of his family last month.
In an interview with Good Morning America, he said he didn't have 'tonnes' of booze but 'couldn't really say' how much he consumed.
Sceptics now question his version of events, particularly how he could not know how he went overboard and how much alcohol he'd consumed before the incident.
Grimes thinks he fell overboard knocked him unconscious before he came to his senses in the water with no sign of the ship nearby.
He was rescued by the Coast Guard on November 24.
James had been spending Thanksgiving on the five-day cruise with 18 members of his family, including his parents and sister - as the ship travelled towards Cozumel, Mexico.
He claims he wasn’t "inebriated", but had taken some drinks after he won an air guitar competition.
James also says he was forced to fend off a shark as he floated in waters after falling overboard.
He added: "I thought it was a shark. I mean, I was swimming in one direction and looked around I seen it out the corner of my eye and it came up on me really quick and went under and I could see it and it wasn't a shark.
"But it had more like a flat mouth and came up and bumped one of my legs and I kicked it with the other leg. It scared me not knowing what it was or, at the time, how big it was.
"All I could see was a fin."
Grimes was "at his limit" when a crew arrived to help save his life said US Coast Guard Aviation Survival Technician Richard Hoefle.
He told 4WWL: "Mr. Grimes had nothing left. He had no energy. He had nothing left to give. My best guess is that he had between a minute and 30 seconds left before we lost him completely."
James is seen struggling in the water in Coast Guard footage of the rescue.
He claims they circled the boat two or three times looking in an attempt to try and find him.
James removed his socks my socks and waved them around his head in the hope that the light they were shining would see him.
He heard the crew saying they had found him before a rescuer emerged from a helicopter and came straight for him.
James was told to hold on to a life jacket and described is rescuer as being like a guardian angel.
Rescuers swam to him as fast as they could and he collapsed into rescue sling.
He was exhausted and could give no more they said.
He says he would still be open to another cruise, but the events had opened his eyes
Grimes, was rushed to a hospital in New Orleans after the incident and claims he lost 20 pounds treading water.
He was rescued after 15 hours and is seen trying to keep his head above the surging water.
James vanishes for seconds, but claws himself back from the waves off the coast of Louisiana.
