German sailor rescued from North Sea

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 21 (UPI) -- A German sailor was rescued after spending more than 24 hours in the chilly waters of the North Sea off Denmark's west coast.

Hans Ulrich and a friend were sailing on his yacht when they were swept overboard on Sunday, Jyllands-Posten reported. The friend swam to shore and alerted the Navy Operational Command who combed the area for Ulrich.

Ulrich was discovered three hours after the Navy had given up. After he was picked up, he said he had seen the boats and helicopters involved in the search but they apparently did not spot him.

Captain Claus Holm Christensen said that according to Navy estimates Ulrich should have been able to survive for no more than 14 hours. Navy policy extends searches by 50 percent more than the estimated survival time.