Sydney:

A sailor was found floating in the middle of the ocean several nautical miles off the coast of Australia more than a day after he fell overboard a cargo ship.

The man, who was sailing in the vessel Double Delight – a Singapore-based bulk carrier. The sailor, who fell while he was out on deck late at night, was found 8 nautical miles off the coast of Newcastle, a harbour city north of Sydney in Australia.

A search was initiated shortly after 11:30 pm local time on Thursday when the ship’s staff informed coastal authorities in Sydney. However, no contact or visibility could be detected in the night-long operations.

The rescue operation, that went on late into the night, involved two life boats, two helicopters and an aircraft.

Authorities got information about a man found floating in the ocean by recreational fishermen who were returning to the harbour late on Friday evening. An ambulance service from New South Wales was pressed into effect and paramedics were rushed to a beach in Swansea, a neighbouring town south of Newcastle, to attend to the man found at sea.

A spokesperson from the coalstal authorities in Sydney said, “The patient, a man in his 20s, reportedly was in the water for about 24 hours. He was wearing a life jacket, he was conscious, he was able to communicate with us, but he was very cold and absolutely exhausted.”

The sailor has been admitted to a hospital for the required treatment. The authorities are yet to record his statement to understand what exactly happened and how he went overboard in the middle of the night.

The fact that he was found with a life jacket fastened to him suggests it might have been an intentional jump, however, there is no clarity on that yet.