Joseph Gross rescued after treading water for 11 hours

9:36 PM, Jul 19, 2012   |    comments
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South Kingstown, RI (WPRI/CNN) - A Rhode Island man was rescued after falling from a boat and treading water for 11 hours.

Joseph Gross fell overboard and was not wearing a life jacket.

Officials began searching for him after his unoccupied boat washed up on Green Hill Beach in South Kingstown.

"So I figured the longer I could stay on top of the water, the more of a chance I had to save me. And that's the bottom line. That's what kept me motivated," said Gross.

He suffered exhaustion and hypothermia, but is expected to make a full recovery.

WPRI/CNN