An Australian warship on Monday rescued a Lithuanian solo rower who had encountered a tropical cyclone while attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from California.
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Aurimas Mockus was taken aboard Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules, where he was undergoing a medical assessment, Vice-Admiral Justin Jones said in a statement. “Because of highly unfavourable sea conditions, Mr. Mockus’s boat could not be recovered except for two oars and some personal items,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescue, said in a statement.
The 44-year-old adventurer had been adrift for three days in the Coral Sea around 740km (460 miles) east of the Queensland state coastal city of Mackay. He had rowed there in an enclosed boat nonstop from San Diego headed for the Queensland capital, Brisbane.
He began the 12,000km journey (7,500-mile) in October and was days away from Brisbane when he ran into the storm, which is forecast to cross the Australian coast within days. Brisbane is 800km (500 miles) south of Mackay by air.
Mockus activated an emergency beacon on Friday after rowing into stormy seas and 80km/h (50mph) winds generated by Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the rescue authority said.
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The authority sent a plane that made radio contact with Mockus on Saturday. Mockus reported he was “fatigued”, the authority said.