Family members say the man recovered from the water near Goring in a late night rescue yesterday (Saturday, July 3) is "doing well".
According to a relative, the 68-year-old is "sitting up and chatting away to nurses" at St. Richards Hospital in Chichester.
Littlehampton, Shoreham and Selsey Coastguards used a helicopter and joined lifeboat volunteers and Sussex Police, before finding the casualty in the water, still conscious and able to talk to rescuers.
Police named the rescued person as Patrick Graysmark.
He had been reported missing after going for a swim at 5pm yesterday.
A reports from the scene added that youths, playing on bicycles, asked police what they could do to help — and proceeded to search nearby roads to look for the missing man.
Relative Sharon Brakes wrote to well-wishers on social media:
"Thank you so much to everyone involved in rescuing my Uncle Pat.
"He is doing well, sitting up and chatting away to the nurses — our family will be forever grateful to you all, thanks for everything you do."
According to coastguards, the rescued man was taken by air ambulance to hospital, and teams were stood down shortly after midnight.
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