A man clings desperately to the foam float Photo: Guangming Daily

A man in South China's Hainan Province who recently had been drifting for 10 hours after falling into the water while fishing was spotted by a ferry captain, who successfully rescued him in just 11 minutes.

At 11:40 am on August 15, a ferry, carrying 500 passengers and 38 crew members, departed from the New Haigang Port in Haikou, Hainan, heading to Zhanjiang, South China's Guangdong Province. Captain Huang Wanli, who has been a seafarer for 10 years, was in charge of the ferry, Hainan local media reported.

Around noon, Huang noticed a large foam floating object on the sea surface, with a faint black shadow next to it. As the ship approached, they discovered it was indeed a person. The man was clinging desperately to the foam float, in a critical condition.

With the collective efforts of the crew, the man was successfully rescued from the water. 

It took only 11 minutes from spotting the suspected drowning person to rescuing him. 

The man was totally exhausted when rescued, trembling with purple lips. The crew provided their clothes, blankets, hot water, and food, covering him with a blanket to prevent hypothermia.

The rescued man, a resident of Lingao, Hainan, had gone fishing alone on a homemade foam float board on the night of August 14.

After a check-up, the rescued man's vital signs were normal. He expressed heartfelt gratitude to Huang and the crew.

Global Times