Michale Packard experienced a situation reminiscent of Finding Nemo, where he was engulfed by a whale and managed to survive.
Although we can't fathom that Packard employed Dory's tactic of conversing in whale language to escape, he did manage to swiftly exit the creature's mouth in a rather emphatic manner. The incident unfolded on June 11, 2021, when Packard embarked on his underwater excursion at sunrise, successfully completing two dives without any issues.
However, luck wasn't on his side during the third attempt, as the diver experienced a powerful impact upon descending.
In his own words: "And suddenly, I was forcefully struck, akin to being hit by a freight train [...] and then everything went dark. Water swiftly enveloped me, creating a rushing sensation, obscuring my vision. I could feel the pressure encompassing my entire body, propelling me through the water at an astonishing speed." "And in that moment, I exclaimed, 'What on earth!' Instantly, I realized that I had been swallowed by a whale, not a shark [...] and that's when my breathing apparatus slipped out of my mouth. I immediately thought to myself, 'I better retrieve that thing.' So, I swiftly put it back in place. Inside the whale, I struggled to find a way out while the creature itself was in a state of panic."
Undoubtedly, it was an unfavorable predicament for a man who simply intended to capture a few crustaceans.
Packard proceeded to share with Cape Cod Times his belief that his fate was sealed: "As I contemplated my situation, I thought, 'This is it, Michael. This is how you meet your end.' I was completely convinced that [...] there was no way I could escape this dire circumstance. I had resigned myself to the inevitable outcome, and my thoughts turned to my children and wife."
However, in a remarkable turn of events, which oddly resembled a whale regurgitating its contents: "Suddenly, the whale surged to the surface, thrashing its head and displaying erratic behavior [...] and then, boom! I was forcefully expelled from its mouth. It was an astonishing moment, and I couldn't believe my eyes."
"I found myself afloat, as my suit was designed to be buoyant and I hadn't had the chance to release the air while ascending, due to its expansion. So there I was, like a large inflated object on the water's surface. Thankfully, I continued to breathe, preventing any risks of decompression sickness." As he floated away, the man's mind was consumed by a final thought: "And as I gazed up at the sky, I was in a messed-up state, but I had a sense that I would survive."
And indeed, he did survive. However, that's not the most frightening incident that Packard has experienced.
As he reveals, "What truly haunts me is my involvement in a plane crash."
Yes, you heard correctly. The same man who was engulfed by a whale had also endured a plane crash, and one can only wonder about the sky-high premiums of his insurance.
Curious about the details of the crash? Well, let's just say it was horrific and left a lasting impact on Packard.
Recalling the ordeal, he shared, "I spent three days stranded in the jungle [...] with a punctured lung, four broken ribs, 180 stitches on my head, and a severed Achilles tendon."
"I probably would have survived one more day, so I had plenty of time to contemplate my mortality. It was a profoundly traumatic experience, even more so than this."
If you thought Packard must have gained a fresh perspective on life after such harrowing ordeals, think again.
"I'm still the same person, continuing with my usual activities," he remarked, unchanged by the circumstances.
