‘Absolute miracle’: Vietnamese sailor falling off a cargo ship, floated in the ocean 24 hours near Newcastle, NSW
Main points:
- The Vietnamese national crew member vanished from ship late Thursday night
- A sea and air search was launched on Friday near Newcastle, NSW
- Australian Border Force officials are now investigating whether the man jumped overboard from the Double Delight in the hopes of sneaking into Australia
In a story of incredible survival, a Swansea doctor pulled a Vietnamese man from the ocean 24 hours after he fell from a cargo ship —with officials now investigating if he intentionally jumped to enter the country.
A sailor who fell overboard from a cargo ship 8kms off the Australian coast and miraculously survived 24 hours in the water had his wallet, ID and cigarettes strapped to him.
The crew member fell from the bulk carrier Double Delight about 11.30pm on Thursday 7/11 —which was situated off Newcastle —and swam throughout the night and most of Friday 8/11.
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 two mates, 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’, Dr Valaire said,
They headed for shore and paramedics met them at Boatrowers Reserve at Blacksmith Beach in Swansea about 6.30pm Friday to treat the man, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson confirmed.
Police also arrived and when they searched the sailor they found his ID, wallet and a pack of cigarettes in a plastic bag strapped to him.
Border Force are now investigating whether he went overboard intentionally.
Earlier on Friday, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) were 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 scour the ocean.
Newcastle-based NSW Water Police, Marine Rescue NSW units, and a Port Stephens-based Water Police vessel were also called in to assist.
NSW Ambulance paramedic Erin Laughton said finding the man alive and well was remarkable and that being in his 20s 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.
Its understood the man had been wearing a life jacket.
Ms Laughton added he wasn’t complaining but appeared relieved to have been rescued.
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 and 235m long Singapore-based cargo ship which had left Japan’s west coast near South Korea on October 19. (VAR, DailyMail)
