A sailor who fell overboard and disappeared off the coast of New South Wales, prompting an urgent search, has been found alive after swimming more than 8 kilometers to shore.
The crew member fell from the bulk carrier Double Delight at around 11.30pm on Thursday, which was situated off the coast of Newcastle, and swam all night and all day on Friday.
Paramedics were called to Boatrowers Reserve on Blacksmith Beach in Swansea about 6.30pm on Friday to treat a man who had been in the water for 24 hours, a NSW Ambulance spokesperson confirmed to Daily Mail Australia.
The man was suffering from hypothermia and was taken to John Hunter Hospital.
Earlier on Friday, Newcastle harbor master notified the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) that a crew member of the Singapore-based ship had fallen overboard.
At the time, the ship was located about 8 kilometers southeast of Newcastle, off the coast.
AMSA coordinated the search and deployed a Westpac rescue helicopter from Williamtown along with a defense helicopter from Belmont, near Newcastle, to search the water.
Newcastle-based NSW Water Police, NSW Marine Rescue units and a Port Stephens Water Police vessel were also called in to assist.
The crew member was on board the freighter Double Delight but had not been seen for almost 24 hours before being found on the sand near Swansea.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority coordinated the search off the coast of Newcastle
A Marine Rescue NSW spokesperson previously said the two boats with volunteer crews were searching for most of the day on Friday.
“At this time… they are still in the water, they will remain in the water until instructed otherwise by Marine Area Command,” the spokesperson said.
The Double Delight is a bulk cargo ship built in 2015 that left the Japanese coast on October 19.
The crew member had not been seen since Thursday night after falling from the freighter (pictured).
Helicopters were deployed in the search and the man was found suffering from hypothermia on a Swansea beach and transported to John Hunter Hospital.
