A 24-year-old Lebanese sailor was rescued unharmed from the dark waters of the east Mediterranean after falling off a commercial ship and drifting for nearly five hours. The sailor fell 18 meters (60 feet) off the Panamanian-flagged vehicles carrier NIVIN, located 185 kilometers (115 miles) southeast of Cyprus. Despite the fall, the sailor required no medical attention upon rescue.

The Cyprus Search and Rescue Coordination Center, led by Cmdr. Andreas Charalambides, dispatched a helicopter equipped with heat sensors to aid in the search for the overboard crew member. After an extensive search in a 25 square kilometer (10 square mile) area, the helicopter returned to base for refueling. However, Cyprus authorities provided the NIVIN with a potential location for the sailor based on computer models considering prevailing currents in the area.

During the ship’s search in the late hours of the night, the crew heard the sailor’s cries for help and successfully retrieved him from the sea. Charalambides mentioned that investigating the circumstances surrounding the sailor ending up in the water falls under the responsibility of the nation under whose flag the ship operates.