Louis Jordan, the man who went missing at sea for more than two months, is defending his survival story against skeptics who question how he emerged from the apparent ordeal relatively unscathed.

"God knows I am a truthful man. My family knows I am telling the truth," Jordan told UK-based newspaper the Daily Mail. "The people who know me know that."

See also: Man missing at sea for 66 days says he survived on pancakes

The 37-year-old was rescued from his capsized sailboat off the North Carolina coast on Thursday, and claims he survived by eating pancakes, drinking rainwater and catching fish. He also said he rationed his food, water and energy, but lost 50 pounds after running out of tinned food.

Jordan had a shoulder injury and was dehydrated when authorities found him, according to the U.S. Coast Guard and his family. But authorities who saw Jordan after the rescue said he seemed to be in surprisingly good condition for someone who was at sea for 66 days.

"My initial impression of him was he was in pretty good health," Petty Officer 3rd Class Kyle McCollum, who had first contact with Jordan, told The Associated Press. "We were expecting worse with blisters and severe sunburn and dehydration."

Lt. Jack Shadwick, the co-pilot of the helicopter that carried Jordan, added, "He was in fairly good condition for a guy that you would normally expect to see after 60-plus days offshore."

The self-described "inexperienced sailor" said his shoulder injury had gotten better during his time at sea.

"After two months at sea, it healed," he told the Daily Mail. "I have a bump, but it's fine. I feel no pain right now."

Authorities checked that Jordan did not withdraw money from his bank account when he went missing, and will now assess his credit card and bank statements for any activity while he was away, the newspaper reported.

Jordan reportedly said he kept up his morale through prayer and by reading the Bible. In his interview, he invoked the religious text to deflect criticism from detractors: "I don't mind being criticized. To paraphrase the Bible: Fools hate to be criticized, but wise men love to be criticized."

On Thursday, the crew of a German container ship spotted Jordan on his overturned boat, the 35-foot "Angel," more than two months after his family reported him missing in late January. Jordan said he was sailing north to the Gulf Stream when his boat capsized in bad weather.

Additional reporting by The Associated Press