Story highlights Man rescued after treading water for 20 hours

William Durden fell off a fishing boat in western Florida

Durden, 61, is a former Navy pilot

(CNN) Maybe it was his Navy training or his prayers, but a Florida fisherman is lucky to be alive after treading water in the Gulf of Mexico for 20 hours.

William Durden, 61, told CNN affiliate Bay News 9 that he was fishing by himself on his boat, when he fell overboard Wednesday on the Homosassa River north of Clearwater, Florida. He was not wearing a life jacket.

Durden's wife called authorities when he didn't return home.

He was found the next day -- about 15 nautical miles southeast of Aripeka, Florida -- and rescued by the Coast Guard.

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Durden, who said he was a former Navy pilot, had been treading water for 20 hours. How did he get through the ordeal?

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