Madagascar's police minister says he swam for nearly 12 hours to reach the shore after being involved in a helicopter crash at sea on Tuesday.
Serge Gellé was one of two survivors. Two other people, a gendarme and the pilot, are still missing and feared dead.
The surviving secretary of state and gendarme were found separately by local residents on the beach at Mahambo, about 75km north of Toamasina, the major port city in eastern Madagascar, the director of the maritime authority, Jean-Edmond Randrianantenaina, said.
He said the two men had "been separated at sea. They were not together".
Gellé, who was rescued by locals, said in a video posted on social media: "I'm not going to die yet, thanks to God" and "to the villagers and fishermen of
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