A fisherman who had been drifting at sea for 10 hours was miraculously rescued by a ferry captain in South China’s Hainan Province on August 15. The dramatic rescue unfolded when Captain Huang Wanli, leading a ferry from Haikou to Zhanjiang, spotted the man clinging to a foam float.

The ferry, carrying 500 passengers and 38 crew members, had departed from New Haigang Port in Haikou at 11:40 am. Around noon, Captain Huang, a seasoned seafarer with a decade of experience, noticed a suspicious object floating on the water’s surface. As the ferry approached, the crew realized it was a person in distress.

In a swift and coordinated effort, the crew managed to rescue the exhausted fisherman within just 11 minutes of spotting him. The man, who had been clinging desperately to the foam float, was found in critical condition, trembling with purple lips from the cold and exhaustion.

The crew quickly provided the rescued man with warm clothes, blankets, hot water, and food to prevent hypothermia. After a check-up, his vital signs were found to be normal, and he expressed deep gratitude to Captain Huang and the crew for saving his life.

The fisherman, a resident of Lingao, Hainan, had ventured out alone on the night of August 14 to fish on a homemade foam float board. The incident serves as a powerful reminder of the dangers of solitary fishing trips and the importance of vigilance at sea.