Man, 28, is hoisted out of the Gulf of Mexico after 15 HOURS when he fell off Carnival Cruise

This is the dramatic moment a 28-year-old man is hoisted out of the Gulf of Mexico 15 hours after he fell off a Carnival Cruise Line ship.

The incredible footage, released by the US Coast Guard on Friday night, shows the man desperately trying to keep his head above the swelling waves.

He vanishes for seconds at a time but manages to claw himself back above the swirling water off the coast of Louisiana.

Rescuers finally managed to drag him out the water using a basket suspended from a helicopter in the darkness at 8.25pm.

The Coast Guard said he was suffering from hypothermia and dehydration, but was able to identify himself as the man who had disappeared.

It comes after a tanker spotted the man – who has not been named – flailing in the water earlier in the evening.

He had disappeared on November 24 after falling off the Carnival Valor cruise ship following a boozy night on the deck.