Japan: Tourist swept away on floating ring survives 36-hour ordeal at sea

Tokyo
CNN
—

A beachgoer who was swept 80 kilometres (50 miles) out to sea has been rescued inside a floating ring. Japan Authorities say they have found the body of a woman on the U.S. East Coast about 36 hours after she went missing.

Two crew members from the oil tanker dived into the water to rescue the 20-year-old Chinese woman as she drifted off a peninsula south of Tokyo on Wednesday morning, the Japanese Coast Guard told CNN. The Coast Guard said the crew of a cargo ship had spotted her earlier and radioed the tanker for help.

The Coast Guard airlifted the woman to Yokohama, where she was taken to hospital for evaluation after her overnight ordeal.

“She is dehydrated, but her consciousness is clear and not life-threatening. There is no need for her to be hospitalized,” the Coast Guard said.

The Coast Guard launched a search for the woman after she disappeared from a beach in Shimoda City, Shizuoka Prefecture, at around 7:30 p.m. Monday, NHK reported.

About 30 minutes after entering the water, the woman realized she was drifting and was unable to return to shore, she told officials, according to Japanese broadcaster NHK.

Authorities said the woman may have been swept away by relatively strong currents and winds, NHK reported.

Japan, a country of more than 6,000 islands, It is home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Asia – and is especially popular with tourists looking to relax during the scorching summer months.

But not every day at the beach goes by without incident.

In 2019, more than 500 people were rescued in the country after beach incidents, according to Latest Japan Coast Guard statistics.