One of the men charged in connection with the seizure of cocaine in west Cork last year said he thought he was being left to die.
Martin Wanden said he ended up in the sea being smashed onto rocks while the men he came to rescue - because the engines in their vessel failed - took off in the boat that he had been using.
The 45-year-old, who was plucked from the sea by the emergency services at Dunlough Bay on the morning of 2 July last year, was subsequently charged with possession of the cocaine haul.
This afternoon he began giving his evidence to the jury in his trial at the Circuit Criminal Court in Cork.
Mr Wanden said he travelled to Ireland for a holiday in June last year with co-accused Joe Daly.
On 2 July while camping alone in west Cork, he got a call from a friend named Charlie who told him he was in trouble at sea and to come and rescue him in a boat which was moored at Kilcrohane Pier.
Mr Wanden told the jury he thought Charlie was fishing, but when he arrived at the cove where he was sheltering, the boat was full of drugs.
Mr Wanden said Charlie and another man took off in his vessel, leaving him in the drugs boat.
He said he jumped into the sea to try to swim ashore but was washed onto rocks.
He denies any knowledge of the drugs.
Earlier today, Mr Daly finished giving evidence after three days in the witness box.
He denied he was involved in planning the drugs operation or that he was an active participant in it and he insisted he had no knowledge of any drugs.
