This is the moment a man who survived for six days drifting alone at sea in a rubber dinghy without food is rescued by fishermen and coast guard officers.
The dramatic rescue took place off the coast of Sanya, a tropical resort city on the island of Hainan, China, on the afternoon of 19th August.
Video footage shows rescuers pulling up alongside the inflatable boat where the exhausted man is lying inside before helping him onboard.
The rescuer, Chen Dewei, said he was sailing back to Sanya Port when he spotted what he first thought was a black object in the water near Dadonghai Sea.
When he got closer, he realised it was an inflatable dinghy and saw a man sit up and shout for help.
Chen explained that the man said he had set off from Lingshui Bay in the small boat six days earlier when bad weather caused it to capsize, leaving him with nothing on board.
He was too weak to move and could not even pull on the rope thrown to him.
Chen and the boat’s captain climbed aboard to lift him out before covering him with a blanket and giving him water.
They called the coast guard, who arrived about 20 minutes later but could not get close because of rough seas.
Instead, the coast guard escorted the fishing boat back to a nearby dock where the man, identified as Mr Luo from Shanwei, Guangdong, was taken to hospital.
Doctors said he suffered acute renal failure and pneumonia from dehydration and lack of food.
He was admitted unconscious on the 19th but by the following day he had regained consciousness, was able to talk and eat, and his vital signs were described as generally stable.
His family has since arrived at the hospital, and he remains under observation in intensive care.
(Mike Leidig / newsX)
NewsX-DingChi-01.jpg Copyright: AsiaWire/NX
Description: Video shows man drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(AsiaWire/NX)
NewsX-DingChi-02.jpg Copyright: AsiaWire/NX
Description: Video shows man drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(AsiaWire/NX)
NewsX-DingChi-03.jpg Copyright: AsiaWire/NX
Description: Video shows the rescued man who was drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(AsiaWire/NX)
NewsX-DingChi-04.jpg Copyright: AsiaWire/NX
Description: Video shows the rescued man who was drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(AsiaWire/NX)
NewsX-DingChi-05.jpg Copyright: AsiaWire/NX
Description: Video shows the rescued man who was drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. Note: Photo is a screenshot from a video(AsiaWire/NX)
NewsX-DingChi-01.mp4 Video Copyright: AsiaWire/NX Video Caption: Caption: Video shows man drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. ***Video Licence Restrictions: NEWS MEDIA PORTALS ONLY. Usage on social media is possible but we offer no guarantees. This video is offered under our ‘social and local media source’ licence. For details see https://newsx.agency/licences/
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NewsX-DingChi-02.mp4 Video Copyright: AsiaWire/NX Video Caption: Caption: Video shows the rescued man who was drifting in inflatable boat in the sea in Sanya, China, Aug. 19, 2025. He reportedly said that he had been drifting for 6 days without food. ***Video Licence Restrictions: NEWS MEDIA PORTALS ONLY. Usage on social media is possible but we offer no guarantees. This video is offered under our ‘social and local media source’ licence. For details see https://newsx.agency/licences/ For terms visit: https://asiawire.newsx.agency
Byline Journalist: Mike Leidig
Byline Sub editor: Simona Kitanovska
Byline Spotter: Ivica Stojanovski
Byline Commisioning Editor: Mike Leidig
Byline Senior Writer: Mike Leidig
Byline Picture Editor: Zorica Stojkovik
Byline Video Editor: David Stojkovic
Byline Copychecker: Emily Wu
Byline Illustrator: Angela Trajkovska
Byline News Editor: Mike Leidig
Geography: Sanya
Subject: Accidents, Accidents In Water, Accidents Involving People, Real-life, Survival
