Twist in miraculous rescue of sailor who survived after spending 19 hours in the water

A Vietnamese sailor who was miraculously rescued after spending nearly 24 hours in the water off the coast of NSW had a plastic bag strapped to him.

A Vietnamese sailor who was miraculously rescued after spending nearly 24 hours in the water off the coast of NSW had a plastic bag strapped to him with ID, a wallet and a packet of cigarettes.

The crew member was last seen on board the bulk carrier Double Delight at about 11.30pm on Thursday.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was notified by the Newcastle Harbourmaster at 11.04am on Friday that a crew member had gone overboard about eight kilometres southeast of Newcastle, sparking a multi-agency air and water search.

The sailor was spotted in the water by two fishermen. Picture: Nine News

He was eventually spotted by two friends on a fishing trip, about five kilometres off the NSW coast.

“It was just an absolute miracle that we came across this guy,” Dr Glen Valaire told Nine News.

“My friend says to me, ‘Glen, Glen, there’s someone in the water!’”

He had been in the water for 19 hours. Picture: Nine News

They pulled the man aboard, wrapped him in blankets and gave him water before calling triple-zero.

“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 brought the man to shore where paramedics met them at Boatrowers Reserve at Blacksmiths Beach near Swansea at about 6.30pm on Friday.

Dr Glen Valaire said it was an ‘absolute miracle’. Picture: Adam Yip

“He was conscious, he was able to communicate with us, he was very cold, he was hypothermic and exhausted — he was absolutely exhausted,” NSW Ambulance spokeswoman Erin Laughton said.

The man reportedly told paramedics he had a sore throat but was otherwise in good condition.

“I think being in his 20s probably helped him quite a bit after 18 hours,” Ms Laughton said.

Border Force officers at John Hunter Hospital. Picture: Adam Yip

“He wasn’t really complaining a lot, he was just relieved to be found. In my years, it’s the first time I’ve seen someone being in the water that long that was in that good of a condition.”

When police arrived and searched the man, they found the plastic bag with his belongings strapped to him.

He was also wearing a lifejacket, according to The Daily Mail.

Border Force is now investigating whether the man went overboard intentionally.

The cargo ship Double Delight. Picture: shipspotting.com

“A crew member that was today reported overboard from bulk carrier Double Delight has been successfully rescued by a recreational fisher this afternoon,” an AMSA spokesperson said on Friday.

“The crew member was transported to John Hunter Hospital in NSW for treatment, where the person is now being monitored by medical staff, under the surveillance of Australian Border Force.”

AMSA co-ordinated the search on Friday afternoon.

A Westpac Rescue helicopter from Williamtown and a Defence helicopter from Belmont near Newcastle were deployed in the search.

Newcastle-based NSW Water Police, Marine Rescue NSW units and a Port Stephens-based Water Police vessel were also called in to assist.

Double Delight is a Singapore-flagged, 235-metre cargo carrier built in 2015 that left Japan’s west coast on October 19 and is currently bound for Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

— with NCA NewsWire

Originally published as Twist in miraculous rescue of sailor who survived after spending 19 hours in the water