Sailor Turns Jeans Into Makeshift Lifejacket; Survives Hours Lost at Sea

A German tourist survived hours lost at sea off the New Zealand coast on March 6, by inflating his jeans to create a makeshift lifejacket. Arne Murke was knocked from a 12-metre yacht while sailing with his brother, Helge Murke, 28km off the coast near Tolaga Bay. His brother threw him a lifejacket on a rope, but he was unable to grab it in time and was swept away in the 3-metre swell. He said the motor exploded and he was soon lost at sea, quickly becoming cold and exhausted. “I was underwater and I just thought… do it for your daughter. I managed to somehow get the jeans right and floated again. That was one moment where I really thought I might die, if I don’t give all my energy,” he told NZ Herald. Arne said he inflated his jeans using a technique he’d seen employed by Navy Seals years ago, giving him the buoyancy to stay afloat until his rescue. After more than three hours in the water, Arne was spotted by Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Service who had been conducting a huge search along with the Coastguard and the Air Force, NZ Herald reported. This footage shows the helicopter winching Arne to safety. Credit: Lowe Corporation Rescue Helicopter Service via Storyful