TOKYO
— A remarkable tale of survival unfolded in the Pacific Ocean when a Chinese woman, who was carried away by the sea while swimming at a beach in Japan, was rescued after 37 grueling hours. She had drifted over 50 miles in the Pacific Ocean, clinging to an inflatable swim ring, officials reported on Thursday.
The Japanese coast guard initiated a search operation for the woman, who is in her 20s and a Chinese national, after receiving a distress call from her friend on Monday night. The friend reported that she had vanished while swimming at Shimoda, a beach located approximately 125 miles southwest of Tokyo.
Experts believe that a combination of a strong current and an evening wind blowing from the mountains towards the sea likely swept her out. Her inflatable swim ring, while keeping her afloat, made it challenging for her to swim against the wind.
Her ordeal came to an end early Wednesday when she was spotted by a cargo ship, roughly 36 hours after she was last seen off the southern tip of the Boso Peninsula, according to the coast guard.
The cargo ship enlisted the help of a passing LPG tanker, the Kakuwa Maru No. 8. Two brave crew members from the tanker jumped into the sea and rescued the woman. She was then airlifted to land by a coast guard helicopter.
In a video released by the Japanese coast guard, the woman, dry and wrapped in a pale blue blanket, can be seen standing on the deck of the tanker. A crew member stands by her side, ready to assist if she loses her balance, while others watch silently. A coast guard helicopter hovers above. As she is attached to a rope and safely hoisted into the helicopter, she waves at the tanker crew.
The tanker crew members who participated in the rescue told TV Asahi that they encouraged the woman not to lose hope as she bobbed in waves that were approximately 6.5 feet high. Two of them jumped into the water and secured a rope around the woman, while the rest of the crew pulled her up to the tanker.
One crew member expressed the collective relief they felt when the woman was rescued, noting that she appeared to be exhausted but alive.
The rescue operation sparked a wave of admiration on social media, with many hailing the crew members as “heroes” and praising the woman’s resilience and survival against the odds.
Officials reported that the woman was slightly dehydrated but otherwise in good health. After a check-up at a nearby hospital, she was able to walk away.
The coast guard noted that she had drifted more than 50 miles and was fortunate to have survived the potential risks of heat stroke, hypothermia at night, or being struck by a ship in the dark.
Hidetoshi Saito, a senior member of the Society of Water Rescue and Survival Research, described the woman’s survival as nothing short of “a miracle” in a televised interview.
The Chinese Embassy in Tokyo acknowledged the successful rescue operation on Thursday, expressing gratitude to the Chinese Consulate, Japanese authorities, and the crews of the cargo ship and tanker. The embassy also urged Chinese residents in Japan to exercise caution when visiting the beach or engaging in marine activities, and to choose locations with lifeguards on duty.
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