Paragraph 1
Madagascar's secretary of state for
has beaten the
to survive a helicopter crash and a marathon swim. Serge Gelle, 57, swam to the
on Tuesday after his helicopter crashed into the Indian Ocean off the island's northeast
. Mr Gelle was one of two
who survived the crash. They both swam for 12 hours to reach the
. Gelle used one of the helicopter's
as a flotation
. At least 39 people died in the disaster. A police spokesperson said
workers have found 18 bodies. He said the death
could increase over the next few days.
