Louis Jordan, 37, was rescued by the Coast Guard 200 miles off the North Carolina coast after 66 days at sea.
The South Carolina native had been living on his sailboat when he set off on January 23 to 鈥渟ail and do some fishing,鈥 but didn鈥檛 return, . His family reported him missing a week later.
鈥淚 had many moments where I thought I was going to die,鈥 Jordan told USA Today.
Jordan鈥檚 35-foot sailboat was dismasted and capsized;聽it鈥檚 unclear exactly how. He survived by collecting rainwater and catching fish with a net, Lieutenant聽Krystyn Pecora, a Coast Guard spokesperson, told USA Today.
A German container ship spotted the wreck on Thursday聽about 200 miles east of Cape Hatteras. A Coast Guard Jayhawk helicopter met the container ship聽and took Jordan to a hospital in Virginia. He was not injured.
Jordan had never sailed in the open ocean before聽and didn鈥檛 have a route or a destination. Without a float plan,聽the Coast Guard couldn鈥檛 narrow down his location and abandoned its initial search after 10 days.
鈥淚 just feel like all of our prayers have come true,鈥 Jordan鈥檚 mother told USA Today. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e been answered.鈥