A fat guy fell off a Cruise ship and survived the fall and 8 hours in Atlantic ocean. His secret? Being very very LUCKY and, get this, very very FAT.

According to experts, his fat kept him afloat and enabled him to wave to the rescuers.

How close it was for the fat guy to kiss death? His sister was actually making arrangements for his funeral.

Like they say, everything has two sides. So, to all you fat guys and fat gals, next time when you sweat like a pig in summer sunlight, remind yourself of this inspirational story and get at least a momentary relief from your daily misery of being too FAT.

—————————————————————————————————————
original story as follows:

Falling off a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean can only mean one thing - certain death. But one man beat the odds with a combination of luck, good weather and sheer size.

Michael Mankamayer fell overboard while on a cruise ship and - wearing only a pair of boxer shorts - survived an unbelievable eight hours in the Atlantic ocean.

In an exclusive interview with INSIDE EDITION, the 35-year-old Orlando man admitted he was drinking heavily and had taken some anti-depressant medication when he fell off a balcony on the Carnival Glory cruise ship as it sailed off the Florida coast in the dead of night.

Mankamayer plunged 60 feet into the ocean - a fall that Dr. Roshini Raj, assistant professor at NYU medical school, described as "like falling on concrete."

The Coast Guard was alerted and began a massive search, but no one held out much hope. His odds of survival were slim. Many were reminded of George Smith, the Connecticut man who disappeared overboard while on a honeymoon cruise with his new bride. His body was never found, but Mankamayer was a lot luckier.

Eight hours after he went overboard the coast guard spotted him.

"I was ready to go home," Mankamayer said. "I didn’t’ feel hurt, I just felt tired."

Incredibly, his only serious injury was a collapsed lung. So how did he survive? The water temperature of a balmy 72 degrees helped, but his weight, 280 pounds, may well have been the decisive factor.

"Body fat is less dense in water, so it will float," Dr. Raj said.

INSIDE EDITION caught up with Mankamayer at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami where he was treated. Mankamayer is apologetic for his actions, but grateful to everyone who helped him beat the odds.