A MAN who was lost at sea for 66 days, surviving on just fish and rainwater, has left hospital and is in surprisingly good health.

    Louis Jordan, 37, who was stranded 200 miles (321 km) off the coast of North Carolina, in the U.S., suffered no sun damage, was not dehydrated and refused treatment when he was checked over in hospital, despite more than two months exposed to the elements.

    The Coast Guard crew who rescued him said he had a small smile on his face when they landed on his vessel, expecting him to be covered in blisters and have severe sunburn.

    The crew of a German-flagged container ship found Jordan on his single-masted 35-foot (10.6-meter) boat Thursday afternoon, Coast Guard officials said.

    Asked about his good condition, Jordan claimed he tried to stay inside the boat and conserved as much energy as possible.

    During an interview with WAVY-TV, he said: “Every day I was like, ‘Please God, send me some rain, send me some water.”

    Jordan had been living on his 1950s-era boat at a marina in Conway, South Carolina, near Myrtle Beach, until January, when he told his family he was going into open water to sail and fish, said his mother, Norma Davis. He set out Jan. 23, Coast Guard officials said, and hadn’t been heard from since.

    Jordan said that he was traveling north when his boat hit bad weather. He said he saw a wave crash into his window, and the boat eventually filled with water.

    Jordan said his morale was boosted by reading “the Bible” from cover to cover, but claimed he lost 50 pounds (22.6 kg) after his supply of tinned food ran out and his diet was reduced to raw fish.(SD-Agencies)