A sailor who fell overboard of a cargo ship off the southeast coast of Australia has been rescued. The man was in the water for 20 hours, CNN reported on Sunday.
The 30-year-old was traveling on a merchant ship under the flag Singapore Double Delight. He was last seen on board on Thursday at 11:30 p.m. local time. The man fell overboard about 8 kilometers southeast of Newcastle, NSW Wales. The circumstances of the incident are unclear, writes CNN.
The coast guard initiated a search operation.
“He was cold and exhausted”
On Friday evening, the services received a report from an angler who found a man while fishing, who was approximately 3.5 km from the shore. He called for help, waving his hand.
– He was wearing a life jacket. He was conscious and able to communicate with us, but he was cold and exhausted, said a spokeswoman for the Australian Maritime Safety Administration, adding that his health condition was stable.
The emergency services reported that the man was conscious when he arrived at the hospital. “Hypothermia was suspected. He was taken to hospital in a serious but stable condition,” the statement said.