HONDURAS — A Marine biology student from New College of Florida is recovering after being swept out to sea — alone — for 16 hours.
Heather Barnes, 20, was in Honduras on a school trip when on Friday, the last day of the trip, she decided to go snorkeling by herself in the pre-dawn hours. While swimming alone among the coral reefs of Cayo Grande, Barnes started to feel cramps in her stomach and leg. Soon she was swept out to sea by the currents.
Barnes attempted to stay idle for two hours, but after seeing no signs of rescue, she decided to swim back to shore.
“It’s kind of strange because even when I didn’t feel like I was strong enough, there was enough of me that still wanted to keep going. It didn’t seem like a choice. I just, I had to keep going,” Barnes told ABC News.
Once on shore, local kayakers gave her water and took her back to the resort where she was staying. Her 16-hour ordeal left her severely sunburned. She also suffered jelly fish stings.
She’s currently recovering in Florida with family.