Du Chengji was rescued on Tuesday and is now being treated at the People's Hospital of Wenchang City, in Hainan. His condition is described as stable.

According to doctors, Du was severely malnourished and dehydrated when he was rescued.

On January 3, Du and another fisherman boarded a light boat attached to their fishing vessel, Yuedianbai-31339, to go fishing.

However the light boat capsized in an ensuing storm. They managed to use a trailing rope to tie themselves to the upturned boat but early on the morning of January 7, Du's companion, overcome with exhaustion, lost consciousness and drowned.

Du clung on and in the early hours of Tuesday morning he drifted toward a passing fishing boat and was able to drag himself aboard by grasping a fishing net.

The fishing boat's owner, Wang Peng, said, "Du's survival was partly due to his strong will to live, and because he is physically strong."