Long Island man rescued after treading water in Atlantic Ocean for over 5 hours: police

BABYLON, N.Y. (PIX11) -- A 63-year-old Copiague man was rescued from the open ocean off of Cedar Beach on Long Island on Monday after he treaded water for more than five hours, according to officials.

Dan Ho was swimming around 5 a.m. when the current pulled him around 2.5 miles south from the shoreline where he entered the ocean, according to authorities. Ho was without a floatation device but found a broken fishing pole in the water and tied his shirt to the pole to wave at passing boats in an attempt to be rescued, according to officials.

Two men, Jim Hohorst and Michael Ross, spotted Ho in the water and pulled him aboard their boat, authorities said. Hohorst called authorities and met Coast Guard officials to take Ho back to land.

Ho was conscious and alert but unable to stand, according to authorities. Ho was treated for hypothermia before being taken to the hospital.