SIX THINGS ABOUT A SCOT TISH SURFER

1 SAVED

Matthew Bryce, 22, was plucked from the sea on Monday evening after more than 30 hours adrift off the western coast of Scotland. He is in a Belfast hospital suffering from severe hypothermia. Bryce apparently suffered stomach cramps and was unable to paddle properly and was swept out to sea.

2 CURRENT EVENT

“It’s not mega-common but it has happened before,” said Steve England, editor-in-chief of Carve magazine, a surfing publication. “He was really lucky … To end up off the coast of Northern Ireland, he was caught in a serious open ocean current.”

3 LATE START

Officials were only notified that Bryce was missing roughly 24 hours after the surfer entered the water. “That meant it was a very, very large search area,” said Coast Guard spokesman Lawrence Cumming.

4 TWILIGHT

Bryce was spotted by the helicopter crew at about 7:30 p.m. Monday shortly before the light started to give out. “We were moving toward twilight and then darkness,” said Cumming. “Lord knows how they found him,” England said. “It’s needle in the haystack stuff.”

5 WELL SUITED

Bryce’s survival was greatly aided by his use of a thick wetsuit that includes boots and a hood. The surfer also managed to remain atop his board, lessening his exposure to the cold water. “Lifting a hypothermic person from the water is hazardous, but it was done successfully,” said Cumming.

6 ‘ROLLER-COASTER’

Bryce called the searchers “all heroes,” while his father said the experience had been “an absolute roller-coaster” with a happy ending. “To get that call from the police last night to say that he was alive was unbelievable.”