The 31-year-old Warraber Island man survived the 20-hour ordeal by clinging to a piece of debris from his dinghy, which capsized after being hit by a wave near the midway point of his journey.
Senior Sergeant Anthony Moynihan, officer-in-charge of Thursday Island Station, said given the man was not carrying any safety equipment, it was a miracle he was found alive."To be floating in that water and knowing the creatures that are in there and to still be there some 20 hours later — he's an extremely lucky fella."
A search by Queensland Water Police and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority started last night but was called off due to bad weather. "We weren't able to use any helicopter assets last night because of the poor weather or any other assets like the volunteer marine rescue because of the poor conditions."
The overturned dinghy was found about 10:30am, with the man eventually spotted a further seven nautical miles away floating on a piece of wood."He's in really good spirits and not suffering from any serious conditions," Senior Sergeant Moynihan said.The man is recovering in Thursday Island hospital after his ordeal at sea.
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