Man survives 14 hours floating in Pacific Ocean clinging to pieces of sea rubbish

The Russian sailor apparently fainted and fell into the water

This picture taken in October 2020 shows rubbish floating in the waters off the coast near Teluk Naga (Getty)

A sailor who fell in the Pacific Ocean from a supply ship survived for over 14 hours by holding onto rubbish before being rescued.

Vidam Perevertilov, a chief engineer on freighter, fell down at 4 am on 16 February in the morning while carrying a supply from New Zealand’s Tauranga port to the country’s northern side, according to New Zealand media reports. 

The 52-year-old sailor reportedly felt dizzy after finishing his shift, his son told New Zealand’s news website Stuff, and perhaps fainted. He wasn’t wearing a life-jacket at that time.

“He doesn’t remember falling overboard. He may have fainted,” Marat, son of Perevetilov was quoted by Stuff as saying.

He told his son he regained consciousness and found himself in the water as his ship was sailing ahead. The crew in the ship did not realise his absence for hours, the report by the Stuff said.

However, his presence of mind helped him spot a“black dot’ and he started swimming towards it -- a decision that ultimately saved his life. 

What he had spotted in the dark was a fishing buoy which he kept on holding for 14 hours, patiently waiting for someone to come and rescue him.

“His will to survive was strong, but he told me until the sun came up he was struggling to stay afloat,” Marat said.

At around 6pm, his ship returned looking for him and spotted him waving at them, holding the abandoned fishing buoy. He was rescued unhurt.

"He looked about 20 years older and very tired but he was alive," his son Marat said, who got details of his father’s survival tale via message chats.

Mr Perevetilov’s son Marat also told Stuff, his father had left the fishing buoy in the sea, instead of taking it as a souvenir.

“It’s funny. He said he wanted to leave it there, so it could save another person’s life.”