A 21-year-old Chinese woman was swept out to sea while bathing at a beach in Shimoda, southwest of Tokyo. The Japanese coastguard began searching when the woman's friend raised the alarm on Monday evening.
On Wednesday morning, 37 hours later, the woman was found eight miles out at sea by a cargo ship. Two crew members jumped into the water to rescue her, after which the coastguard helicopter flew her to land.
The woman said that she had not been able to swim back to the beach because she was swimming with a life ring and the water carried her further and further away from land.
She was somewhat dehydrated, but otherwise in good health and did not need to stay at the local hospital where she was examined after being rescued.
The coastguard reports that the 21-year-old was lucky to have survived, despite the risks of heatstroke, hypothermia at night, and being run over by a ship in the dark.
