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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
World
Liam Buckler

Eight fishermen rescued after drifting in sea for 3 days clinging to piece of plastic

This is the moment eight fisherman were rescued after drifting into the sea for three days - while clinging on to a piece of plastic.

The exhausted fishermen, who were all wearing orange life vests, were spotted in the middle of the sea in Vietnam when the Panamanian ship Trump SW crew found them in the Vung Tau province on August 26.

They were pulled onboard using a rope and given first aid treatment - with one suffering a broken leg while the rest had been starving and dehydrated.

After three days, on August 29, they reached the nearest port on the southern coast, where coast guard officers waited to assist them so they could return to their home country.

Cargo ship crewman Nguyen Chi Thanh, who first saw the lost fishermen, said: "I saw an orange object floating in the sea. I checked closer and saw several people wearing life vests.

The fisherman had been holding onto a large piece of plastic before they were rescued (ViralPress)
A passing cargo shop in Vietnam came to their rescue (ViralPress)

"They were hanging onto a large plastic tank and screaming for help. I immediately informed my captain, and we began the rescue."

The ship steered towards the fishermen and began pulling them one by one.

They had to carry one of them onboard because he almost fainted from having a broken leg and excessive bleeding.

After receiving first aid treatment from the kind crew, he was in stable condition.

The ship steered towards the fishermen and began pulling them one by one (ViralPress)
Cargo ship crewman Nguyen Chi Thanh first spotted the stranded fisherman (ViralPress)

The ship's captain informed the coast guard about the rescue operation and asked them to meet at the nearest port to hand off the fishermen.

After taking enough rest and regaining their health, the crew interviewed the fishermen but could only speak their native language, so details about their ordeal remained unclear.

Vietnamese authorities launched an investigation while they contacted the Burmese embassy about the incident.

Meanwhile, the cargo ship Trump SW returned on its way to Indonesia, where it was supposed to fetch goods to take to China.

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