American detained after sailing from Alaska to Russia - by accident

An American sailor reportedly got lost at sea after traveling down the Yukon River. (Hailshadow)

Russian border agents detained an exhausted American who accidentally sailed in a small rubber boat from Alaska to Russia’s Far West, according to a report Friday.

John Martin reportedly got lost at sea after sailing down the Yukon River, the BBC reported.

The U.S. Consulate in Vladivostok was informed about the incident, The Associated Press reported.

Russia’s foreign ministry said Martin was born in 1972. He was arrested Wednesday.

"About two weeks ago, he decided to take to the open sea,” Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said in Moscow, according to the BBC. “Due to inclement weather and because he lacked navigation equipment, he spent several days in the open sea. This is how he ended up in the Russian Federation.”

She said Martin received medical treatment in Lavrentiya and his condition was "satisfactory".

The American was found exhausted near Lavrentiya, a coastal village in the remote Chukotka region, which is about 55 miles from Alaska, according to the BBC.

The BBC reported that a source close to the investigation quoted Martin as saying he had been fishing along the Alaskan coast and had decided to sail from the US to China, but ended up in Russia.