In what some are calling a miracle, a sailor survived 19 hours adrift at sea. But now, he's under investigation for intentionally jumping overboard in the first place.
The man in question reportedly "fell" from a cargo ship off the coast of Australia. But rescuers found that he had his wallet, ID, and cigarettes strapped to him, leaving them to believe it was intentional. The crew of the bulk carrier Double Delight reported a crew member fell off the ship off Newcastle on Thursday.
The sailor ended up adrift at sea for much of Thursday evening and Friday. Eventually, two fisherman spotted the 20-something-year old man adrift in the water near their craft. They managed to pull him aboard their ship. He was a long way from Australia's shore.
One of the fishermen, Glen Valaire, was a doctor and helped treat the man.
"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," 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."
Adrift At Sea
From there, the fishermen took the sailor to shore. Paramedics met them to treat the sailor for any injuries. Police also arrived on the scene. This is where the story takes a strange twist from the typical survivor adrift at sea story. Upon searching the man, they discovered that he had placed his ID, wallet, and a pack of cigarettes in a sealed plastic bag. Meaning, he didn't want them to get wet.
For this reason, they're investigating whether he actually intentionally jumped from the ship and brought misfortune to himself. Search and rescue crews in helicopters have been searching the area of the ocean for him. So he could be in trouble for wasting their resources if so. It's not a good look for sure.
It's a miracle that he even survived. Although he was wearing a life jacket, he also was suffering from hypothermia.
NSW Ambulance paramedic Erin Laughton said his age played a factor.
"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.
