Beachgoer swept away on floating ring survives 36-hour ordeal off Japan’s coast

Tokyo CNN —

A beachgoer who was swept 80 kilometers (50 miles) out to sea in a floating ring has been rescued off Japan’s east coast some 36 hours after she went missing, authorities said.

The Chinese woman, aged in her 20s, was saved by two tanker crew members, who dived into the water to rescue her as she drifted off a peninsula south of Tokyo on Wednesday morning, the Japan Coast Guard told CNN. She had been spotted earlier by a cargo ship crew, which radioed the tanker for help, the coast guard added.

The coast guard flew the woman by helicopter to the city of Yokohama, where she was taken to the hospital for assessment following her overnight ordeal.

“She is dehydrated, but her consciousness is clear and she is not in a life-threatening condition. There is no need for hospitalization,” the coast guard said.

The coast guard launched a search for the woman after she went missing from a beach in Shimoda city, Shizuoka prefecture, at about 7:30 p.m. on Monday, Japan’s public broadcaster NHK reported.

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

Authorities said the woman was likely swept away by currents and moderately strong winds, NHK reported.

Japan, a nation of more than 6,000 islands, is home to some of Asia’s most beautiful beaches – and they are especially popular with tourists looking to cool off during the sizzling summer months.

But not every day at the beach passes without incident.

In 2019, more than 500 people were rescued in the country following accidents at the beach, according to the Japan Coast Guard’s most recent statistics.