A dad reported missing over 24 hours after he went surfing and never returned has been found alive.
The 68-year-old surfer was reported missing on Friday (9 January) after failing to return to the Airbnb he was staying at with his daughter.
He had headed to the beach at noon the previous day and he was stranded for over 30 hours before he was located.
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An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter was dispatched by the Coast Guard to perform shoreline and offshore searches, and the crew spotted a man matching his description stranded on rocks.
Video footage shows him standing next to a surfboard and signalling the aircraft.
Due to surrounding rocks, reefs and sea conditions, rescuers said the location couldn’t be accessed by foot or boat, as reported by Need To Know.
The 68-year-old, who appears to be holding onto walking sticks, was able to make his way to safety and was placed on a stretcher and lifted by the helicopter.
An official said: “The aircrew conducted a flawless hoist operation and safely recovered the individual aboard the aircraft despite difficult nighttime conditions and low visibility.”
Deputy sector commander of Coast Guard Sector San Juan, who coordinated the search and rescue mission, said: “We activated the inter-agency search and rescue effort as soon as we received the information, especially after realizing that it had been more than 24 hours.
“It was truly a team effort and I appreciate the responsiveness and professionalism of Coast Guard Air Station Borinquen, the Sector San Juan Command Center and our local emergency responders.”
Stiles encouraged those entering the waters to wear proper life-saving equipment and to tell someone about their plans beforehand.
The unnamed man had been surfing in Aguadilla, Puerto Rico.
