Woman survives in ocean for 19 hours

49-year-old holds onto container after her canoe capsizes off Maui

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updated 11:14 p.m. ET Oct. 20, 2007

UKUMEHAME, Hawaii - A 49-year-old woman from Alaska held onto a water container to stay afloat for 19 hours until she was rescued from choppy ocean waters a mile off Maui.

Lillian Ruth Simpson had been canoeing alone. She was paddling out to some tour boats Thursday morning to distribute invitations to a fundraiser.

She was already tired from the effort when strong winds flipped her canoe.

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Simpson tried to right the canoe, swim for shore and call for help, but she made little progress.

She wrapped her bathing suit top around her head to keep warm after sunset and spent a long night dozing off, accidentally swallowing saltwater and trying to keep warm.

A fishing charter boat spotted her in the water Friday morning, dehydrated and sunburned.

Simpson was treated at a Maui hospital and released.