Madagascar minister swims 12 hours to safety after helicopter crash

A Madagascan government minister who swam for 12 hours to safety after his helicopter crashed In the Indian Ocean during a rescue mission on Tuesday appeared in a video saying he is "very cold" but "alive and well".

Gen. Serge Gellé, 57, the Secretary of State for the Gendarmerie, was discovered in the water by a fisherman in a canoe who brought him to shore, according to officials.

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Another passenger, Chief Warrant Officer Jimmy Laitsara, also swam to the beach at Mahambo.

"After 24 hours I can be back at work. I am not injured but very cold," said Gelle in a video posted to Twitter by Madagascar's defense ministry. "Also I lost my phone so please share this video so my family can see it and they won't worry any more."

Gelle appeared on a lounge chair, still in his military camouflage, his hands pale and wrinkled by the water and the cold.

With no life jacket, the police minister survived using one of the helicopter seats as a buoy, removing his boots and belt to shed weight and stay alive.

Many in Madagascar applauded Gelle's feat, calling him a "hero" an "extraordinary athlete," and "an example to follow" on social media.

The cause of the helicopter crash "remains undetermined," authorities said. Gelle said that gusts of wind had destabilized the aircraft. The helicopter pilot and another passenger are still missing.

The helicopter was one of two flying a government delegation to view the site where a boat, the Francia, sank, drowning at least 64 people on board.

On Wednesday 25 bodies were recovered off the island of Sainte-Marie, in the northeast of the country, according to officials.

The small cargo ship sank Monday while it was illegally transporting 138 people, according a statement Wednesday by the Maritime and River Port Agency.

Efforts continue to recover the more than 20 people still missing, said the agency.

The Francia sank Monday morning about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the town of Soanierana Ivongo.