Stranded surfer survives night at sea clinging to board

A Japanese tourist clung to his surf board for 16 hours in the sea 6km off the NSW coast before being rescued yesterday.

The stranded surfer was retrieved by the crew of a container ship off Port Kembla early on Friday morning after he had survived a night at sea.

Crew members of the MSC Damla spotted him drifting beside their 300m-long vessel. They hauled him from the sea and gave him food and dry clothes before he was taken ashore.

Port Kembla Water Police Sergeant Sean Netting said the man, dressed in board shorts and a rash vest, appeared unworried about his ordeal, reports the Illawarra Mercury.

[MSC Damla] crew were able to lower the gangway he was able to paddle over and they basically just plucked him out of the water," he said. 

"We couldn't believe it. 

"He's out there on a surfboard, adrift, at night time. 

“He was hanging onto the board - that was the only thing he had to keep him alive."

Although he risked exposure and hypothermia, the man's mishap happened on a warm night. During Thursday night, on-shore temperatures remained above 21 degrees. 

He was taken to hospital for a check-up on Friday morning before being released in the afternoon.