Man tossed in water during cyclone

QUEENSLAND, Australia, March 11 (UPI) -- An Australian man survived 25 hours in the water off Queensland after his trawler was capsized by a huge wave during a Category 4 cyclone.

James Palmer, 20, was rescued thanks to an emergency distress beacon he grabbed after being tossed out of his life raft by another wave, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

Palmer, his uncle Russell Palmer, who was the skipper, and crewman Tony Tyndall had anchored off Hervey Bay and were planning to ride out the cyclone when a huge wave capsized the vessel early Monday. Russell Palmer and Tyndall remained missing Wednesday.

James Palmer's survival stunned rescuers.

"He was incredible lucky," helicopter crewman Darren Bobin told the newspaper. "By the time we got to him the swell was up to 10 feet."

Bobin said Palmer had drifted 15-20 nautical miles by the time he was found.

He was being treated for hypothermia and dehydration at Rockhampton Base hospital, The Times said.