Rescue of Mark Miele, a Virginia man who got separated from his kayak in Everglades National Park/CCSO

A Virginia man who had gone kayaking in Everglades National Park alone is alive today thanks to losing his phone.

The man, 67-year-old Mark Miele, had set out on his paddle on January 22. He was scheduled to complete his trip by January 29. Four days later, however, some of his personal belongings, including his cell phone, washed ashore on the Lopez River in the Ten Thousand Islands area of the park.

Rangers alerted the Collier County Sheriff's Office, where staff was able to download Miele's last coordinates from his phone. With that, an air and water search was launched Monday, and the man was spotted not far from where his belongings were recovered, floating face up in the river.

Park rangers were able to pull the man into their skiff and bring him to shore. The rescue was captured on video by the sheriff's aviation arm.

"Shortly before noon on Monday, the Aviation Unit located Mark and guided our Marine Unit, alongside NPS and FWC officers, to his location, a few miles from where his belongings were found," the sheriff's office reported Monday afternoon. "Mark is safe and is being treated by medical staff at Physicians Regional Hospital."

Miele apparently was suffering from exposure and hypothermia. 

Michelle Batten, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office, said Monday evening that deputies hadn't been able to interview Miele to learn how he got separated from his kayak. She did not know if it had been recovered.