A 28-year-old man who was trying to row from the UK to France has been rescued after spending 48 hours in the water wearing nothing but swimming trunks. The man, who has not been named but is reported to be British, was rescued by the crew of a Dutch ship.
He had been clinging to a buoy in rough weather eating raw shellfish to survive.
Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf says the man, who had set off from Dover, was found clinging to a buoy on Thursday, having capsized his kayak two days earlier.
He is reported to have eaten seaweed and raw mussels before he was found by the crew of the ship De Madelaine. De Telegraaf says he has been taken to hospital suffering from severe hypothermia.
Teunis de Boer, captain of the De Madelaine, was helming the ship on a trip between the UK and France when he “saw something crazy moving” near a buoy. He said the man was 'waving like crazy'.
The man, who was said to be exhausted, was only wearing swimming trunks and his eyes were said to be 'sunk into his head'. He was badly bruised.
Mr De Boer said: “It’s a miracle he survived. He looked a bit confused." He said the man would have been unable to sleep during recent rough weather and had 'little energy left'.
The crew gave him a Snickers bar.
