Fishermen rescue cruise ship pianist who spent hours treading water off California coast: Reports

Two fishermen rescued a man who had fallen overboard from a cruise ship and was treading water for hours, according to multiple reports.

The man was taken to a nearby hospital in stable condition.

Pianist rescued in the middle of the ocean 

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Last week, Sean Norton and Grant Garrett were heading back home after spending the morning fishing for marlin near Catalina Island, which is located about 22 miles off the coast of Long Beach, California.

As they made their way back to the mainland, they saw a man treading water about 20 miles off the coast. Once they got the man on board their vessel, they made a distress call and Newport Beach lifeguards responded. 

It was estimated that the man, only identified as a pianist who worked for Royal Caribbean, for about nine hours, according to the New York Times. He was working aboard Ovation of the Seas.

The Coast Guard is officially investigating what happened, according to People magazine. 

‘Super’ El Niño may have helped man survive

Big picture view:

Since late spring, El Niño has been in effect, strengthening through the summer and early fall, according to FOX Weather.

Forecasters have said for months that El Niño would reach "super" status, the point when water temperatures are at least 2 degrees Celsius above average in the equatorial Pacific for at least three consecutive months.

Norton suggested to CBS LA that unusually warmer temperatures may have contributed to the man surviving in the water for as long as he did. 

The Source: Information for this article was taken from reporting by CBS LA, People magazine, the New York Times and FOX Weather. This story was reported from San Jose.