08.06.2026 20:41
While walking in China, 40-year-old Qin Jianping slipped and fell into the sea, swept away by raging waves into the open ocean. With no equipment whatsoever, he managed to survive for seven full days, astonishing the world. After his wife had lost hope and collected seawater as a memorial for his funeral, the unfortunate man resisted the scorching sun, freezing nights, hunger, and thirst by eating live crabs he caught with his bare hands and drinking his own urine.
On China's southern Hainan Island, a survival struggle that baffled the medical world and search and rescue teams took place. 40-year-old Qin Jianping, who fell into the sea due to an unfortunate accident while on vacation in the city, fought for his life for a full 7 days amid raging waves without a life jacket or mobile phone. The man, whose wife collected seawater for his funeral, saying "He's dead," managed to survive by eating raw crabs and drinking his own urine.
STEPPED ON A FRUIT PEEL, EXPERIENCED A NIGHTMARE
Qin Jianping, a wholesaler, went for a walk along the seafront in Haikou city around 11:00 PM on May 27. While walking along the embankment, the unfortunate man stepped on a discarded fruit peel, lost his balance, and fell into the sea. Although he could swim, due to huge waves and strong tidal currents, Qin could not return to shore. As hours passed, he realized the land had completely disappeared from sight. Nearby boats did not hear the screams of the man drifting out to sea.
TOOK OFF HIS CLOTHES, ATE RAW CRABS TO SURVIVE
Forced to conserve energy, Qin removed all his belongings, including shoes, pants, watch, and ring, to stay more comfortably afloat, remaining naked. Burning under the scorching sun during the day and risking freezing in the icy water at night, the man had to drink seawater and his own urine to quench his thirst. On the 5th day at sea, Qin caught small sea crabs clinging beneath a buoy with his bare hands and ate them raw to gather energy.
BLOODY TEARS FLOWED FROM HIS EYES, HALLUCINATIONS BEGAN
After 6 days at sea, hunger, thirst, and sleep deprivation caused Qin's body to give out. Experiencing severe hallucinations and shedding bloody tears from his eyes, the man reported seeing his childhood and family like a film reel as he was on the verge of losing consciousness. Just when hope was running out, on the morning of June 2, a fisherman named Zheng Shizhong, hunting 10 kilometers offshore, noticed a naked body lying motionless on its back in the middle of the sea.
FISHERMAN RESCUED HIM WITH A POLE: "WE'RE HERE NOW, YOU WON'T DIE"
Qin, who had nearly lost his vision, could not see the rope thrown by the fishermen. The fishermen then touched his back with a long pole to catch his attention. Mistaking the pole for a restaurant door handle due to hallucinations, Qin held it tightly and was pulled onto the boat. As soon as he stepped onboard, the man said to the fishermen, "I think I'm going to die." His rescuer Zheng comforted him, saying, "We're here now, you won't die."
WIFE HAD COLLECTED SEAWATER ON A WHIM FOR HIS FUNERAL
After the missing person report, police determined from camera footage that Qin had fallen into the sea, but days of searching yielded no results. Authorities informed the family that anyone naked at sea for over 3 days had no chance of survival. Accepting her husband's death, the unfortunate woman said, sobbing, "I had filled three bottles of seawater to take home as a memento for his funeral. Just as I was about to leave, I received news that he was found alive."
LOST 10 KILOS, INTERNAL ORGANS DAMAGED BUT HE'S ALIVE
Hospitalized, Qin's condition was critical. Having damaged internal organs from drinking seawater and urine, developing mouth sores from eating raw crabs, and suffering infections from coral cuts, the man lost a full 10 kilos in 7 days. After 2 days of intensive care in the ICU, the miracle man overcame the life-threatening danger, and it was announced he would be discharged within a week. Qin said that as soon as he recovers, his first task will be to visit and thank the fishermen who saved his life.