Long Island swimmer swept out to sea treads water for 5 hours before rescue

[Kamaji]

Long Island swimmer swept out to sea treads water for 5 hours before boaters rescue him

By Allie Griffin
August 1, 2023

A man was swept out to sea while swimming off Long Island Monday morning — but he treaded water for five hours and created a makeshift flag to attract his rescuers.

Dan Ho, 63, was in the water at Cedar Beach in Babylon around 5 a.m. when strong currents carried him two-and-a-half miles off the coast, according to the police.

The Copiague man miraculously kept himself afloat without any flotation devices and found a broken fishing rod floating in the water.

Ho then tied his shirt to the rod to create a flag to try to wave down help, cops said.

By 10:30 a.m., his ingenuity proved fruitful. He was spotted by two men in a motorboat — retired FDNY marine engineer Jim Hohorst and pal Michael Ross — who pulled Ho out of the ocean and onto their vessel, a 2007 Albin, the Suffolk PD said.

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Source:  https://nypost.com/2023/08/01/long-island-swimmer-swept-out-to-sea-treads-water-for-5-hours-before-boaters-rescue-him/

[Weird Tolkienish Figure]

I was told to lay face down in the ocean and only move your arms once in a while to get air in this situation. When you run out of energy you basically die.

[Smokin Joe]

Curious whether the tide or a rip current pushed him out to sea.
Either way, swimming at 90 degrees to the current is the way to get out of it, then make your way to shore.
Drown proofing helps you rest.