Australian navy rescues adventurer who hit a cyclone while rowing across the Pacific Ocean

MELBOURNE, Australia — An Australian warship on Monday rescued a Lithuanian solo rower who had encountered a tropical cyclone while attempting to cross the Pacific Ocean from California.

Aurimas Mockus was taken aboard Royal Australian Navy landing ship HMAS Choules, where he was undergoing a medical assessment, Vice Adm. Justin Jones said in a statement.

“Because of highly unfavorable sea conditions, Mr. Mockus’s boat could not be recovered except for two oars and some personal items,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, which coordinated the rescue, said in a statement.

The 44-year-old adventurer had been stranded for three days in the Coral Sea about 460 miles east of the Queensland state coastal city of Mackay. He had rowed there in an enclosed boat nonstop from San Diego headed for the Queensland capital, Brisbane.

He began the 7,500-mile journey in October and was days away from Brisbane when he ran into the storm, which is forecast to cross the Australian coast within days.

Brisbane is 500 miles south of Mackay by air.