Man clinging to debris survives 20 hours lost at sea, Australian officials say

A 31-year-old man clinging to a piece of debris was lost at sea for over 20 hours before being rescued, Australian officials said.

A search effort was commenced on Dec. 20 after the man’s dinghy, which departed from a small island in between northern Australia and Papua New Guinea, never arrived at its destination, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority stated in a news release.

A rescue aircraft was deployed to search for the missing man that evening, but found no signs of him and eventually turned back, officials said.

The following morning, the aircraft resumed its search, aided by a police boat and a helicopter, officials said.

The capsized dinghy was spotted shortly before noon on Dec. 21 in the Torres Strait and the missing man was quickly located about one mile away. His lower body was submerged in the water and he clung to a piece of debris with both arms, according to officials and photos taken at the scene.

A helicopter hoisted him to safety and he was transported to a hospital to receive medical care, officials said.

The area he was rescued in is filled with crocodiles and sharks, according to 9 Queensland News.

“To be floating in that water and knowing the creatures that are in there and to still be there some 20 hours later — he’s an extremely lucky fella,” a Queensland police sergeant told ABC News.

“He’s in really good spirits and not suffering from any serious conditions,” the sergeant stated, according to the outlet.

The Torres Strait, the narrow body of water between Papua New Guinea and Australia, has long been considered difficult to navigate due to its many reefs and strong currents, according to the Royal Historical Society of Queensland.

“Most of the vessels lost in the strait are small sailing vessels of under 500 tons,” according to the Encyclopedia of Australian Shipwrecks.

This story was originally published December 21, 2022 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Man clinging to debris survives 20 hours lost at sea, Australian officials say."