The 59-year-old Hong Kong resident had gone paddle boarding in Shenzhen’s Yantian District late in the afternoon of Feb. 24. Exhausted and disoriented, the man texted his wife for help.

Upon receiving calls from the the victim’s family, Dapeng’s Maritime Search and Rescue Center formulated a rescue plan. Sea patrol boats were dispatched to the scene while police and emergency services conducted shoreline searches. The city’s maritime rescue coordination center also worked closely with its Hong Kong counterpart to facilitate search efforts in Hong Kong waters using helicopters and boats.

Fortunately, the man contacted Hong Kong police the next day at 11:52 a.m. after washing ashore at Ko Lau Wan, a remote village in Sai Kung, and borrowing a villager’s phone. The man sustained no severe injuries.

Authorities urge residents and visitors to pay close attention to marine weather conditions while engaging in water sports, to stay away from the sea during inclement weather or when sea conditions are uncertain, and to promptly call 12395 in case of distress.