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A 60-year-old fisherman surnamed Zhang from Luomen, a fishing village in Zhoushan's Putuo District, Zhejiang Province, miraculously returned home alive on September 13, 2026, eleven days after falling overboard from a shrimp trawler.

The Disappearance

The incident occurred in the early hours of September 3. The vessel had returned to port early due to the peripheral effects of a typhoon in the nearby waters. Zhang was scheduled to begin his shift at midnight, but when he failed to appear, his crewmates realized he had likely fallen overboard late on September 2.

Search and Presumed Loss

Over the following eleven days, family members and local authorities conducted extensive searches at sea, but found no trace of Zhang. As hope faded, the family eventually made funeral arrangements, believing he had perished. His son, however, refused to give up and continued searching for his father in Daishan, an island area nearby.

The Return

On the evening of September 13, Zhang walked back into his home in Bantang Xincun, Luomen, to an empty house—his son was still out searching for him. Neighbors described his appearance as surprisingly good, noting that he appeared in decent spirits and that his skin was simply darker from prolonged sun exposure. Local police arrived at the scene shortly after receiving word of his return.

An Unexplained Survival

How Zhang managed to survive eleven days at sea remains unknown. He was reportedly in poor spirits upon returning and rested immediately, so the details of his ordeal had not yet been recounted. Villagers speculated that he may have drifted with the tides to a reef or small island where he was able to hold out until he could make his way back.

Residents of the fishing community described his return as nothing short of a miracle. As one neighbor put it, "To come back under these circumstances is itself a miracle".