The U.S. Coast Guard rescued a 57-year-old man attempting a kayak voyage from California to Hawaii on Tuesday morning, 11 days after he started his journey, Los Angeles Times reported.
The man is "lucky to be alive," the Coast Guard said.
The man went into the trip prepared with electronic equipment and solar panel technology to charge it. After the solar panel malfunctioned, however, the Coast Guard received a distress call indicating equipment failure on Tuesday, the Coast Guard said in a statement.
The man, who had turned back to California, in the Pacific about 60 miles southwest of Santa Barbara's Point Conception was spotted and rescued by a helicopter, the Associated Press reported.
A friend of the man, who was not identified, said he left Monterey on May 30 to begin a journey of nearly 2,400 miles to Honolulu in a kayak with a solar panel that charged all his electronic equipment.
The solar panel malfunctioned on Saturday and the man turned back to California, but sent out the distress call when he couldn't find his way back.
The helicopter directed a Coast Guard cutter crew to the man, who was found in good health, the statement said.
Would-be mariners were urged by the Coast Guard to file a float plan before taking any long trips, according to the AP.
"A voyage from California to Hawaii is a long and treacherous journey for any vessel and exponentially more dangerous for a kayaker," said Petty Officer 2nd Class Timothy Hall, a watch stander at the Coast Guard's Long Beach command center, in a news release. "His preparedness allowed him to call for help but he is very lucky to be alive."
The man reported no injuries. Had he made it to Honolulu, he would have kayaked nearly 2,400 miles, according to LA Times.
