Chinese man rescued after 7-day sea ordeal; endures hallucinations, eats raw crabs to survive

A Chinese man who was left floating in the sea for seven days has miraculously survived by eating raw crabs.The man, surnamed Qin, was rescued by two fishermen from Chengmai county of southern Hainan province in early June following his harrowing experience at sea, the Pengbo News reported.His ordeal began on May 27 when he was walking on the beach at Haikou, the capital city of Hainan, and was swept into the water by big waves, recalled Qin, a 39-year-old tourist from Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.He had never been swimming in the sea before and had no life-saving equipment with him at that time.Qin is helped ashore on a stretcher by the two fishermen and other rescuers Photo: HandoutAs Qin was swept into deep waters he could not call for help because his mobile phone was lost.To reduce his burden, Qin took off his trousers, shoes, watch and finger-ring, while floating in the sea.He encountered a buoy the next day, so he climbed onto it and stayed there until he was saved.On day 3, Qin realised he was in Qiongzhou Strait, which separates Guangdong province’s Leizhou Peninsula from the island province of Hainan, because he saw a flurry of ferries. But no one noticed him then.The following two days were the hardest for Qin.Out of extreme hunger, he was forced to eat about 80 small raw crabs. He even suffered from hallucinations.Qin, who suffered from dehydration, is given water as he lies in a hospital bed. Photo: HandoutOn the seventh day, Qin was discovered by two fishermen from Chengmai county.Further ReadingWhen they extended him a wood stick, Qin, who was delirious, thought he was touching a doorframe and was being invited by his friends to go to dinner.“Since you are with us now, please be assured that you will not die,” the fishermen told Qin.The fishermen, Zheng Shizhong and Fu Tingsan, cleaned Qin up and helped him put on dry clothes.They discovered that multiple wounds on Qin’s body were oozing pus as a result of exposure to the sun. They gave him water and chatted with him continuously on the way back to the shore to make sure Qin did not slip into unconsciousness.Qin was rushed to the hospital once they reached land.“When I was in the sea, I told myself I must not die in obscurity,” Qin was quoted as saying.“When I recover, I will definitely go to visit my two brothers and thank them for saving me,” he added, referring to Zheng and Fu.Qin, above, who is on the road to recovery, talks to the media from his bed. Photo: HandoutAccording to Chen Boyi, a doctor from Chengmai county People’s Hospital, Qin has been transferred to an ordinary ward after a period in the intensive care unit. His vital signs are now stable.He had serious dehydration when admitted by hospital and a large area of his skin had festered, Chen told the People’s Daily.“An examination found that he had an inflamed digestive system. It is probably because he had eaten raw crabs,” said Chen. “But if he had not eaten the crabs, he would possibly have lost his life.”Qin’s story has garnered considerable attention on social media.“People who survive a great calamity are sure to have good fortune in the future,” said one online observer.Another person said: “What willpower he has.”