A woman who was swept out to sea off the southeastern coast of Japan has been miraculously rescued 37 hours later and more than 50 miles away, officials announced Thursday.
The woman, only identified as a Chinese national in her 20s, disappeared Monday while swimming at a beach in Shimoda on the Izu Peninsula, ABC News reported.
It is believed that she was “swept out to sea by a current and an evening seaward wind from the mountains” and that her inflatable swim ring made it “more difficult to move against the wind,” the outlet explained.
Her flotation device also contributed to saving her life, as a cargo ship spotted her still clinging to it on Wednesday.
The ship’s crew notified a passing gas tanker to help rescue the woman, with officials telling ABC News that two individuals jumped into the sea to pull her out.
A Japan Coast Guard helicopter then transported her back to land.
Footage that the Associated Press obtained shows the moment the woman was airlifted from the tanker and placed into the chopper:
Officials reported that although the woman was slightly dehydrated, she was in good health after being examined.
She had drifted more than 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, before being found, the coast guard said.
