Rower rescued days before completing trans-Pacific feat

An adventurer attempting to row across the Pacific Ocean from the United States to Australia was rescued just days away from his destination. The Lithuanian rower endured nearly five months of solitary sailing, ultimately failing to complete his feat.

According to local media reports, Lithuanian rower Aurimas Mockus sent out a distress signal late Friday after being caught in a cyclone, surrounded by towering waves and strong winds reaching up to 100 kilometers per hour (62 mph). The following day, authorities made radio contact with Mr. Mockus, who was located approximately 740 kilometers east of the Australian east coast city of Mackay, in the Coral Sea.

When rescued on Monday morning, the 44-year-old adventurer had been sailing alone at sea for nearly five months. The Australian Navy stated that Mr. Mockus is receiving medical treatment on board an Australian warship, which will transport him to Sydney.

Mr. Mockus was attempting to become one of the few rowers to cross the Pacific Ocean solo and non-stop. Previously, Briton Peter Bird and John Beeden completed the feat in 1983 and 2015, respectively, and Australian Michelle Lee also successfully crossed in 2023. Mr. Mockus departed from San Diego, Southern California, last October, embarking on the 12,000-kilometer journey with Brisbane as his intended destination.

Local reports indicate that he rowed an average of 12 hours per day. He frequently updated his progress on Instagram. In his latest post, published the day before the call for help, Mr. Mockus reported that he had crossed the Chesterfield Islands, a group of French coral islands located approximately 1,500 kilometers east of Australia. "The highlight is that I successfully navigated the reefs of the Chesterfield Islands. And further according to God's will... The most important thing is to control the next few days," he wrote. Tropical Cyclone Alfred disrupted Mr. Mockus's plans and is expected to hit the eastern Australian states of Queensland and New South Wales in the coming days.