A sailor who miraculously survived 19 hours in the ocean after falling overboard from a cargo ship 8km off the n coast had his wallet, ID and cigarettes strapped to him.
The crew member fell from the bulk carrier Double Delight located off Newcastle at about 11.30pm on Thursday, and swam throughout the night and most of Friday.
It has now been revealed the man, in his 20s, was first spotted by two fisherman on Friday afternoon who pulled him aboard their small vessel a significant distance south of the ship but still 5km offshore.
One of the men, Glen Valaire, happened to be doctor and set about treating the man, who is a Vietnamese national.
‘My friend said to me ”Glen, Glen, there’s someone in the water” it was just an absolute miracle that we came across this guy,’ Dr Valaire told Nine News.
‘He was so fatigued he had to lay down in the back of the boat, he was freezing cold, had a weak pulse, super pale and we were concerned for him,’ he said.
The trio headed for shore and paramedics met them at Boatrowers Reserve at Blacksmith Beach in Swansea at about 6.30pm Friday to treat the man, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail .
Police also arrived and when they searched the sailor they found his ID, wallet and a pack of cigarettes inside a sealed plastic bag that was strapped to him.
The Vietnamese national was reported missing from the cargo ship on Thursday night was found 5km offshore on Friday afternoon by a pair of fisherman in a small boat who saw him waving his arms (pictured)
Dr Glen Valaire had been out fishing with a mate when they spotted the sailor in the water
He was treated for hypothermia and was ‘exhausted’ but able to speak. Police later found he was carrying his wallet and cigarettes in a plastic bag strapped to him
Border Force are now investigating whether he went overboard intentionally.
Earlier on Friday, the n Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was notified by the Newcastle Harbourmaster that a crew member from the Singapore-based vessel had fallen into the water.
The AMSA then launched an air and sea search, deploying a Westpac Rescue helicopter from Williamtown along with a Defence helicopter from Belmont near Newcastle to search the ocean.
Newcastle-based NSW Water Police, Marine Rescue NSW units, and a Port Stephens-based Water Police vessel were also called to assist.
NSW Ambulance paramedic Erin Laughton said finding the man alive and well was remarkable and that his young age would have helped after being in the water so long.
‘He was conscious, he was able to communicate with us, he was very cold, he was hypothermic and exhausted – he was absolutely exhausted,’ she said.
The cargo ship sitting off the Newcastle coast on Friday (pictured)
The n Maritime Safety Authority co-ordinated the search off the Newcastle coast
It’s understood the man had been wearing a life jacket.
The man was suffering hypothermia along with dehydration and was transported to John Hunter Hospital where he remained as of Saturday.
The Double Delight is a 2015-built, 235m long cargo carrier which had left Japan’s west coast near South Korea on October 19.