Man out to see sunrise drifts miles away on piece of plywood

JERSEY CITY, N.J. (AP) – A man seeking to watch a sunrise on a piece of plywood in a New Jersey marina was swept out by the Hudson River current and wound up about 2 nautical miles away.

Fire Department of New York Capt. Louis Guzzo says the man was sent drifting into the river on an 8-foot-long piece of plywood Thursday around 4:45 a.m., about half an hour before sunrise.

The man was rescued unharmed about a quarter-mile from Governors Island. He told fire department marine unit rescuers he went out to the dock at the Newport Yacht Club and Marina in Jersey City to watch the sun come up.

Guzzo says he believes the man stayed on the piece of wood because he didn’t want to jump into the water and lose his cellphone while swimming back.

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