Man swam for 14 hours in shark-infested waters to help friends

When Michael Williams swam for help after a fishing trip turned horribly wrong, he didn't know the swim would become a 14-hour struggle through shark-infested waters. But as the hours dragged on, the belief he could save the lives of his friends John Jarrett and Charlie Picton kept the now 41-year-old afloat.

The courage he showed when their vessel capsized 13km off the Byron Bay coast in February 2008 has seen him nominated for this year's Pride of Australia medal in the outstanding bravery category. "You go through so many stages when you're out there," Mr Williams said yesterday. "At first I was re-thinking the decision, but when I looked back I realised it was too late to stop and I had to keep going. I'd see the ripples and start to hallucinate about fins popping up out of the waves."

"Because I had cuts and was bleeding, I was worried that I was leaving a trail for them. Towards the end, there was a low tide going out. It was like hitting a brick wall and I really started to struggle."

Mr Williams made it to shore near Brunswick Heads but by the next morning when rescuers found the vessel, Mr Picton had drowned. "I still think of Charlie all the time, we'd been friends since school," Mr Williams said. "It was very, very hard on all of us." He has remained close to Mr Jarrett and and the pair are now writing a book.