Thank Goodness For Passing Ships

Kai Sato, 39, reportedly set sail from the California coast on June 7 en route to Hawaii, but two weeks into the journey, his boat’s mast snapped and his phone shut off after getting wet, though service is limited mid ocean.

Apparently, he had no EPIRB or tracking device, and his phone was also his navigation tool.

When he ran out of fuel, he spent a week drifting in ocean currents, eventually using onboard parts for a jury rig to move the boat back towards the shipping route. On July 21, Sato was finally rescued by a passing cargo ship en route to the islands.