New details on how sailor survived 66 days lost at sea

Rescued sailor's survival story raises questions

Finally back on dry land, 37-year-old Louis Jordan was released from a Virginia hospital on Friday, a day after being rescued 200 miles off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.

Some people have thought his story of survival sounds a little fishy, saying he didn't look like a castaway who spent more than two months lost at sea.

"For him to be in his current state was pretty amazing," said Coast Guard Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle McCollum, an aviation survival technician who helped rescue Jordan.

Louis Jordan, left, arrives at a hospital in Norfolk, Virginia, shortly after being rescued April 2, 2015, following 66 days stranded at sea in a disabled sailboat. U.S. Coast Guard

"You would expect sunburn, severe sunburn, blisters maybe, a bunch of medical issues that could possibly be wrong with him," McCollum said.

But Jordan had none of those injuries -- raising some doubt about his story.

Jordan said he had only planned on a short trip when he set sail in late January and that his boat capsized in stormy weather.

Sailor stranded 66 days at sea speaks out after rescue

"The waves were huge, the wind was strong," Jordan said. "I'm an inexperienced sailor. I haven't had a lot of time on the water."

Jordan survived with a little luck and resourcefulness. On Saturday, his father told CBS News the boat righted itself after capsizing, so Jordan was able to take shelter in the cabin -- which explains why he wasn't sunburned.

There was also an ample supply of canned food on board. When that ran out, Jordan figured out how to fish without a pole.

"I lured them from their hiding place with a shirt on a rope," Jordan said. "And then I just took my hand net and just scooped them up."

He also used buckets and an inflatable raft to catch rainwater, which almost didn't come in time.

"Finally, right before I ran out of water, finally the conditions were perfect where I was able to collect water," he said.

Jordan said he was almost out water again when a cargo ship spotted him Thursday and brought him aboard.

The Coast Guard, which airlifted Jordan from the ship, said his story is nothing short of amazing -- and that it has no reason not to believe him.

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