Treading water in a pool for four minutes can be draining. Now imagine that pool is the Atlantic Ocean, in the dark of night, and those four minutes are four hours.

Tough right? Thankfully for a man 44 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey, tough was doable, and he managed to keep himself afloat long enough for the United States Coast Guard coordinate with the Maersk Wesport — a commercial ship — to locate him and drag him on board.

The distress call for the man in the water was placed at around 10 pm Saturday evening.

A medical helicopter was then sent by the USCG and the man is now being treated in a hospital.

This from the New York Daily News:

Tamara Whalen, the helicopter pilot, said in a statement: “The incredible teamwork and coordination between multiple Coast Guard assets and the Maersk Wesport proved vital in locating and medevac-ing the survivor despite intense thunderstorms and darkness.

“Each member was critical to insuring the safe return of the survivor to his family.”