A fisherman stranded at sea for eight hours was saved by a vessel traveling from HCMC to the Philippines, which changed course to save the victim.

The Oriental Star was delivering goods when its 15-member crew saw a person bobbing along with the waves while the vessel was about 48 km from Phu Quy Island in central Binh Thuan Province on Sunday.

Le Van An, the ship’s captain, decided to turn around to rescue the person. As the vessel was heavy, it took a few minutes of maneuvering to prevent it from capsizing. But when the ship reached the destination, there was no one there.

He figured the person must have been swept away by the water, so he decided to search for the victim, even though it was getting dark.

As the Oriental Star drifted with the currents, lights shining on the water surface, it took the crew over two hours to find the victim, who had been swept about five nautical miles away from the original position.

"We released the buoys and sent sailors down to bring the victim on board. Everyone was happy to see the fisherman still alive," An said.