THIS is the bizarre moment a man was rescued while floating on an inflatable mattress a full 25 miles off the Costa del Sol.
The mystery man was spotted bobbing around by the crew of the merchant ship Epic Shikoku, who promptly notified the Maritime Rescue Coordination Center in Cadiz.
A high-speed rescue boat named Salvamar Gadir was immediately dispatched and raced to the scene.
The man was subsequently rescued and taken to the port of Estepona just after lunchtime on Monday.
Miraculously, he was said to be in good health, despite being lost at sea with only an oar and a blow-up bed.
Officials stressed that he was not a migrant, nor was he using a makeshift raft.
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Spain’s Maritime Safety and Rescue Society said: “It looked like a toy at first.
“But binoculars confirmed it was an adult male, fully clothed, calmly paddling in the middle of open water.”
The spokesperson added: “He didn’t seem to think being 37 kilometres offshore on a pool toy was particularly strange.
“He just said he’d gone out for a paddle, and the current took him farther than planned.”
The society also posted on social media, warning: “The sea is not a raft. Respect it, take care, pay attention and always practice #NauticalSafety.”
It comes amid a spate of sea tragedies on Spanish coasts.
Last week, a Brit holiday hotspot was put on ‘red alert’ after being battered by monster 15ft waves.
The island of Tenerife faced its “most tragic black day” in recent history after a trio of tragic deaths and 15 injuries were reported in just five hours.
Ten people were dragged into the rough sea in the resort of Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife on Saturday.
One woman died after suffering a heart attack as three were left seriously injured with leg, arm and hip trauma.
In January, a Brit tourist tragically died after being swept into the sea by a wave in Tenerife.
The holidaymaker, 63, was one of three people who got into difficulties at Los Gigantes natural swimming pool.