A woman was miraculously rescued 50 miles from shore after being stranded at sea for 37 hours in a rubber ring after swimming at the Shirahama Ohama beach in Japan.
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According to Japan Times, the woman, who is only identified as a Chinese national, was out swimming with friends at around 7:30 p.m. local time on Monday, July 8. She was reported missing by her friends 30 minutes later.
The Yokosuak Coast Guard revealed that the woman had drifted into the sea with her rubber tube for about 37 hours before her rescue. A cargo ship sailing off the coast of Nojimazaki on the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture made the rescue. She was picked up shortly before 8 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10.
The cargo ship’s crew members initially mistook the woman for a fellow crew member during the sea rescue. However, when they tried to rescue her, she was too weak to climb up the ship’s ladder. The cargo ship requested help from a passing LPG tanker, the Kakuwa Maru No. 8. The tanker’s crew members jumped into the sea and rescued the woman
After the rescue was done, the woman, who appeared to be slightly dehydrated, was transported to a hospital in Yokohama. There, she told officials that she was swept out to sea and was unable to return to the beach. She managed to drift 50 miles away from shore.
Rescuers also told The Independent that strong winds were blowing at the time she went missing. One of the rescue team recalled finding the woman out in the sea. “We were all shouting, ‘Don’t give up!’ and ‘Hang in there!’”
Doctors stated she was in non-life-threatening condition when she arrived at the hospital. However, she was put on an intravenous drip.
Society of Water Rescue and Survival Research Offical Calls the Woman’s Sea Rescue a ‘Miracle’
ABC News reports that during a TV interview, Hidetoshi Saito, a senior member of the Society of Water Rescue and Survival Research, stated the woman’s sea rescue was a miracle.
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo also released a statement on Thursday, July 11. It stated the safe rescue of the woman was done in cooperation with the Chinese Consulate as well as the Japanese authorities, cargo, and tanker crew.
The embassy also urged the Chinese residents in Japan to check the weather and maritime conditions before going to the beach. It further advised caution when going to the beach and engaging in marine activity.