'Help us get home', liferaft survivors plead from Vietnam

Steven Freeman

The New Zealander and Australian who spent 11 days clinging to a liferaft with no food or water have just one request for everyone - "Help us get home".

Nelson man Steven Freeman and Australian Mark Smith have been recuperating in a hospital at the small Vietnamese island of Ly Son since their rescue.

However, with storms battering the island, the men have no idea how they will get back to the mainland so they can fly home to loved ones in time for Christmas.

Speaking from the hospital yesterday Mr Smith told the Herald they were still waiting to hear from their embassies.

"We have both had no contact and still don't know how we are going to get out of here. It's very hard for us to get to a phone so every time a phone rings we hope it is embassies but it's reporters.

"Everybody try and work to get us home - that's the message we want to try and get out."

"The weather's still shocking. We don't know how we're going to get home, we just don't know anything. We are just resting up and trying to be as cheerful as we can."

The men spent 11 days clinging to a liferaft after the boat they had been sailing to Australia sank just south of Hong Kong. Storms battered the liferaft, flipping it over and over for days.

Without food or water they drank their urine, licked moisture off the side of the raft and discussed having to eat the remains of the first among them to die in order to survive.

Just as the emaciated men thought they would not survive another night Vietnamese fishermen rescued them.

Mr Smith said Mr Freeman was able to speak to his family for the first time yesterday since being rescued but he was still waiting to reach his family in Australia.

Mr Freeman's Nelson-based sister Karen Scowen said it was wonderful to hear her brother's voice yesterday but he sounded tired and was still dehydrated.

"He said it might be a day or two before they go to the mainland, but they don't know how. As soon as he gets there he can ring collect and we can find out what's happening," she said.

Vietnamese Consul for the NZ Embassy Kosta Tashkoff said when the storm passed a rescue boat would collect the men and take them back to Vietnam, where passports were being arranged for them.

Mr Tashkoff hoped the men would be home in time for Christmas.

"I think the last thing these two want to do is hop back into a boat in bad conditions after the ordeal they have just had."