Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.

When marathon swimming has life-or-death consequences, amazing things can happen.

Hisashi Koze is a 39-year-old Japanese dive master who had to swim over 30K after being stranded at sea over a 20-hour period in Malaysia. The stranded diver swam until he reach the Damai Puri Resort after swimming overnight in the warm ocean.

Koze, who manages a dive shop at Damai Puri Resort, led two friends from Kuala Lumpur on an excursion to the Katori Maru shipwreck.

Located approximately 30K from the resort, the popular dive spot was the spot of a sunken ship. Koze and the two others surfaced after their third dive to the shipwreck when they noticed that their boat had drifted away. Koze lost sight of his boat and his dive buddies.

He told reporters that he swam in the direction of the resort to get help, and in the hope of flagging down passing fishing vessels.

“What an amazing feat of endurance, bravery and determination to survive,” says Malaysian Medical Association, Sarawak chairman Dr John Chew. “What Hisashi endured was much more than a physical test. It speaks volumes about his mental strength. But of course he does have extreme stamina.”

Copyright © 2011 by World Open Water Swimming Association