A Chinese woman was rescued 37 hours after being swept out to sea while swimming at a beach in Japan. She had drifted over 80 kilometers in the Pacific Ocean, clinging to an inflatable swim ring.
The rescue operation began after her friend reported her missing near Shimoda, about 200 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. Experts believe she was caught in a current and hindered by winds from the mountains, which made it hard to return.
She was spotted by a cargo ship on Wednesday, about 36 hours after disappearing. The ship called for help from an LPG tanker, the Kakuwa Maru No. 8, whose crew members bravely jumped into the sea to rescue her. They tied a rope around her and pulled her aboard, despite waves reaching 2 meters high. A Coast Guard helicopter airlifted her to safety.
Despite being slightly dehydrated, she was in good health after being examined at a nearby hospital. The coast guard highlighted the dangers she faced, including heat stroke, hypothermia at night, and the risk of being struck by a ship in darkness.
Experts described her survival as “a miracle,” given the circumstances.
