SCOTT SIMON, HOST:
People in much of the United States might envy people in Florida this week. While temperatures crept well below zero in Bangor, Maine, they've neared 80 in Boca Raton. But warm weather spots have challenges, too. Rob Konrad knows. Mr. Konrad is a former Miami Dolphins fullback who went fishing on Wednesday, alone. He put his big boat on cruise control so he didn't have to steer and reel-in a pompano at the same time. But somehow Mr. Konrad fell off his boat. He couldn't catch up with it, so he swam to shore nine miles away. Concerned friends contacted authorities and the Coast Guard sent out a helicopter, but couldn't find Rob Konrad. He was getting back to dry land stroke by stroke. He made land after 4 a.m. and contacted the Palm Beach County sheriff's office. He was taken to a hospital, treated for hypothermia and released.
Rob Konrad was released by the Dolphins 10 years ago. He's 38 years old and reportedly a member of an investment firm, but it sounds like he could get back into the game right now. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.