A morning swim this week turned into a hours-long fight for survival for a New York man swept out to sea.

About 5 a.m. on Roland PrestonMonday, 63-year-old Dan Ho was swimming at Cedar Beach in Babylon when he was pulled out into the Atlantic Ocean by the current, the Suffolk County Police Department reported.

After treading water five hours, police said, Ho, a Copiague resident, was rescued off Long Island.

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A broken fishing pole turned white flag

People on a passing boat were able to spot Ho after police said he found a broken fishing pole in the water, tied his shirt to it and waved the shirt in the air.

Ho was rescued by Jim Hohorst and Michael Ross aboard a 2007 Albin Tropical Soul, about 2 1/2 miles south of where he entered the water, police said.

The pair pulled Ho onto the boat, police said, and Hohorst called authorities to report the rescue.

The department's Marine Juliet vessel responded to the boat and transferred Ho, conscious and alert but unable to stand, aboard. He was brought to the United States Coast Guard Station-Fire Island where a medic treated him for hypothermia.

Crews then transported him to a hospital.

No similar incidents had been reported in the area as of Tuesday, a Suffolk County police spokesman told USA TODAY, and it was not immediately known if a rip current was to blame for Ho being swept out to sea.

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What are rip currents?

According to the National Ocean Service, rip currents occur in bodies of water with breaking waves; they are channels of water that flow at a faster pace than the surrounding area.

Swimmers caught in rip currents can get sucked away at speeds of up to 8 feet per second, far too fast for many swimmers to make it safely back to shore.

The National Weather Service often posts warnings about high chances of rip currents.

What should I do if I get caught in a rip current?

Don't panic.

Remain calm and swim parallel to the shoreline, which is perpendicular to the current. Or just go with the flow and ride out the rip current, saving your energy for the swim back to shore. 

Contributing: Elinor Aspegren

Natalie Neysa Alund covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach her at [email protected] and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @nataliealund.