Four crew members survived their cargo ship sinking off Indonesia after roping together a make-shift life raft from iceboxes.
Local media reported that the men, named as Rusiyadi, Muhammad Ajim, Ansori and Ali Sabibi, were found alive off East Java after the loss of their coastal vessel Zidane Express.
The styrofoam boxes stayed afloat until rescuers reached the scene.
Their vessel had been battered by strong seas last Friday and suffered water ingress.
Radio contact was lost in the sea between Saobi Island and Sabuntan Island.
A search and rescue operation was launched and the men were located on Monday.
The resourceful crew members not only found empty boxes and rope, but they brought some belongings and fresh supplies of food and water for their journey.
National Search and Rescue Agency coordinator Wahyu Setya Budi was cited by the Daily Mirror as saying: “The four men were found safely about 63 miles from Boom Beach Banyuwangi and 61 miles from Sapeken Madura Harbour.”
Budi added that local fishermen also helped search for the missing crew members, who were taken to the mainland for medical treatment.
Ship reported missing
He said: “They used the styrofoam iceboxes to stay afloat in the sea. They took fresh water with them and used it sparingly between them.”
The Zidane Express had left Boom Beach in Banyuwangi en route for Sapeken Island in Madura on 26 May.
The ship had been due to return two days later, but its absence prompted local residents to report it as missing.
Earlier in May, a Turkish bulker captain was rescued after three days in the sea following a fall overboard off Bali.
Erhan Seckal clung to a piece of wood after being lost from Zodiac Maritime’s 178,000-dwt capesize bulker Quorn (built 2010).
The Yeni Safak daily said the master disappeared on 2 May while the vessel was en route to Vietnam.
