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A Brazilian fisherman who fell off his boat managed to survive two days at sea by clinging to a buoy.

David Soares, 43, battled the Atlantic waves for four hours after falling overboard.

He slid off his boat on Christmas Day and later told Brazilian news site G1: “For me, the first 10 minutes were the hardest because I wanted to get back on the boat at all costs.”

But high currents made the task impossible.

Realizing that David could not return to the boat, the fisherman took off both his shirt and trousers to lighten his weight.

“The water was choppy and the wind was blowing… so I decided to go with the flow to use less energy,” he added.

After four hours, David reached a signaling buoy near the port of Açu.

Climbing the structure, he recalled thinking he “might die of cold before help came.”

It was a miracle that he was found

But David was eventually spotted by another fisherman, who captured the inspiring rescue on camera.

Despite the ordeal and treatment for dehydration, the brave fisherman has already returned to the water to work.

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