He is on his way back to Australian shores after a two-day wait in the turbulent ocean waters due to Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said.

Aurimas Mockus’ boat was forced to battle heavy conditions in the Coral Sea. Source: Supplied / Department of Defence

Mockus set off on the journey in October and was days away from reaching his final destination after rowing about 70 nautical miles a day.

A search and rescue mission started with a Cairns-based Challenger jet sent to find the rower failing to spot Mockus on Saturday, but it did manage to make contact with the tired rower.

The 24-year-old Queenslander’s rowboat capsized, leaving him clinging naked to the hull for about 14 hours before he was rescued by a cruise ship that made a 200km detour.