Crew member who fell off cargo ship found on Blacksmiths Beach in Newcastle after 24 hours air, sea search
A man who fell overboard from a cargo ship off the NSW coast has been found on a Swansea beach alive after swimming for more than eight kilometres over 24 hours.
NSW
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A man who fell overboard from a cargo ship off the NSW coast has been found on a Swansea beach alive after swimming for more than eight kilometres over 24 hours.
Emergency services launched a large-scale sea search for the crew member, who was last seen on board the Double Delight bulk carrier about 11.30pm on Thursday, before NSW Police sources revealed he had been spotted alive on Blacksmiths Beach in Swansea, around 6.30pm on Friday night.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority were notified by the Newcastle Harbourmaster at 11.04am Friday that a crew member had gone overboard, sparking searches from the Westpac Rescue helicopter – taking off from Williamtown – and a Defence helicopter from Belmont near Newcastle.
The ship was around 8km off the NSW coast at the time the crew member fell overboard.
A NSW Ambulance spokesman told The Telegraph paramedics were called to Boatrower’s Reserve at Blacksmiths Beach near Swansea around 6.30pm, following reports “a sailor had been found in the water after 24 hours missing”.
“We treated the man in his 30s for hypothermia and transported him to John Hunter Hospital,” the spokesman said.
Newcastle-based NSW Water Police, Marine Rescue NSW units, and a Port Stephens-based Water Police vessel were involved in the air and sea search.
Blacksmiths Beach in Swansea is at the southern end of a nine-mile stretch of coastline.
The Double Delight, is a Singaporean-based cargo bulk carrier ship, which left the west coast of Japan on October 19.
Originally published as Crew member who fell off cargo ship found on Blacksmiths Beach in Newcastle after 24 hours air, sea search
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