Vidam Perevertilov, chief engineer aboard a supply ship, was rescued after 14 hours in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. The sailor had fallen overboard without wearing a life jacket. It was a buoy floating in the middle of the ocean that saved his life.
On February 16, Vidam Perevertilov fell into the water at 4 in the morning, and no member of the crew notices, the ship was between New Zealand and the islands of French Polynesia.
The sailor saw that the ship was moving away, unable to do anything.
For several hours, he swam in hopes of finding something to survive when he suddenly saw a black buoy floating on the water. He then he goes straight to her, clings to her while he waits for someone to come help him.
Members of his ship, the Silver Supporter, did not notice his absence until 6 hours after his fall. But thanks to the mechanic’s log book, the time of his disappearance was estimated to be around 4 a.m.
At the time of going overboard, the Silver Supporter was about 400 miles south of the southernmost islands of French Polynesia. The ship issues a radio distress call to the French Navy, which joins the search from Polynesia, while Météo France examines the winds and currents to determine where the man may have drifted.
It wasn’t until 6 p.m. that Vidam saw a ship, his. The ship was then in the full area grid and about to change course when one crew member heard a weak voice and another saw a waving hand.
Vidam Perevertilov is saved but exhausted by these 14 hours in the water.
Vidam Perevertilov left the buoy where he was, as I recall. He said that he wanted to leave her there, to save someone else’s life.
