A Coast Guard helicopter then flew to the ship and airlifted Louis Jordan to a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia.
Jordan’s 35-foot sailboat had lost its mast and capsized. The tanker crew said they found him sitting on the hull.
Louis Jordan sailed out on January 23 and had not been heard from ever since. Alerts were issued from New Jersey to Miami to be on the lookout for Jordan and his sailboat.
The search began February 8 but the Coast Guard abandoned its efforts after 10 days. Despite reports from other sailors claiming to have seen Jordan's sailboat, none of the sightings were confirmed and the case was suspended.
The Coast Guard said Jordan didn't file a "float plan," the nautical equivalent of a flight plan, to determine his route or destination, and there wasn't enough information to narrow down his whereabouts.
