BABYLON, N.Y. (WPIX) — A 63-year-old man was rescued from the open ocean off of a Long Island, New York beach on Monday after he treaded water for more than five hours, according to officials.

Dan Ho, of Copiague, was swimming at Cedar Beach on around 5 a.m. when the current pulled him out to sea around 2.5 miles south from where he entered the ocean, according to authorities. Ho didn’t have a floatation device. He found a broken fishing pole in the water and tied his shirt to the pole to wave at passing boats, according to officials.

Two men, Jim Hohorst and Michael Ross, eventually 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.