14 DAY TRIAL // Earlier this year, on January 23, 37-year-old Louis Jordan went on a fishing trip. While he was sleeping, his boat capsized and he landed in the water, together with all his belongings.
On January 29, his parents figured out that something was seriously wrong and alerted authorities. Crews searched for the man for about 10 days, but eventually called off the rescue mission, believing him dead.
As it turns out, they were wrong. Thus, it was this past Thursday that the 37-year-old man was found in the waters off the coast of North Carolina, US, and safely returned to shore.
From the time his boat capsized until he was finally rescued, Louis Jordan spent a total of 66 days at sea. During this time, he watched as currents kept pulling him further and further away from land.
The man barely survived the experience
After his boat turned topsy-turvy, leaving him with no way to contact his parents or rescue crews, Louis Jordan somehow managed to pull himself out of the water and onto the capsized hull.
During the 66 days that he was missing at sea, the young man had nothing but raw fish to eat and rainwater to drink. Contrary to what his parents and even rescue crews all assumed, he somehow managed to survive.
37-year-old Louis Jordan says that, while waiting for somebody to spot him and rescue him, he kept praying for his parents, knowing that they were most likely convinced that he had died and mourning him.
The man was rescued by a German-flagged ship
This past Thursday, at about 1:30 p.m. local time, the crew aboard a German-flagged ship chanced to see Louis Jordan sitting on his capsized boat, some 200 miles (322 kilometers) off the coast of North Carolina.
They approached him and pulled him on board, ABC News reports. Soon enough, authorities in the US were alerted and a Coast Guard crew was sent to airlift the 37-year-old to shore. Once on land, the man was taken to a hospital.
Despite having spent well over 2 months stranded at sea, the man does not seem to have suffered any life-threatening wounds. His doctors say that, when he was brought to them, he only had an injured shoulder and was suffering from dehydration.
Hence, chances are that young Louis Jordan will eventually make a full recovery. The man was reunited with his family on the same day that he was found, and should soon be allowed to return home.
