A lobsterman was rescued after he fell off his boat and was trapped at sea while his crew slept.

For 12 hours, the rescued lobsterman, John Aldridge, held onto his life in the sea with the help of instinct and he had to think on his feet.

"The handle broke off and I fell of the back of the boat. Just like that. I just watched the boat float away," reporters heard in his Oakdale news conference.

The fisherman was reaching for a cooler when the miraculous feat began. His crew were sound asleep on the boat, and Aldridge's instincts just kicked in after he found out he needed to be liberated out of the water.

Aldridge suddenly realized that his boots were more buoyant than any other part of his body. Taking the boots off, the lobsterman filled it up with air, and turned it upside down. Placing the boots under his arms, he was able to survive for the long wait. The lobster catcher's footwear had saved him.

Knowing that he would need to conserve his energy, he did not shout out to ships or aircrafts nearby, but waited to be found. The wait was 12 hours long.

His crew member was one of the rescuers who found him, "I've been looking for you for nine hours." He responded to the complaint, "I've been looking for you for 12 hours."

The rescued lobsterman expressed what it felt like to be found: "When I knew that they saw me it was like, it was the best feeling in the world. I was craving a cheeseburger for some reason, I don't know why."