Ship rescues sailor alive after 30 days adrift in the Pacific

A commercial ship rescued a California sailor off the coast of Hawaii after he spent 30 days adrift in the Pacific Ocean. Kai Sato, 39, was on his first solo voyage when his boat's mast broke in strong winds on June 20, rendering his navigation phone useless and leaving him stranded.

The vessel George III spotted Sato's small sailboat in distress on July 21, according to a statement from the Seafarers International Union. Sato had run out of water and was forced to cook his food with seawater. He managed to collect some rainwater for drinking but suffered from severe dehydration and deep depression during his ordeal.

"I cried for a whole week while drifting south; I felt terrible. I thought about trying to turn on the engine and suffocating myself, committing suicide; I felt desperate," Sato told Hawaii News Now. He attempted to motor back to the California coast but ran out of fuel.

During his time adrift, Sato described meditating, talking to the water and wind, and feeling the presence of his deceased uncle, with whom he had previously sailed from California to Hawaii as a child. He expressed profound gratitude to the crew of the George III for saving his life and stated he is ready to embark on new adventures.

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I cried for a whole week while drifting south; I felt terrible. I thought about trying to turn on the engine and suffocating myself, committing suicide; I felt desperate.