Sailors rescued after days adrift

An Australian and a New Zealander have been rescued off the Vietnamese coast after 11 days adrift in a lifeboat.

Mark Smith, 49, and Steven Freeman, 30, left Hong Kong on a 65-ft yacht early in December, but it developed problems and sank soon afterwards.

The men say they had no food, drank their own urine and rainwater and huddled "like two babies" to keep warm.

They were weak and dehydrated by the time they were found by Vietnamese fishermen off the country's coast.

The men said that when their ship sank in the East China Sea during a storm, they were left with just two sponges and an oar.

When it rained, they used the sponges to collect rainwater, according to the Associated Press news agency.

"It was sheer will power that kept us alive," said Mr Smith, of Hobart, Australia.

His fellow sailor said: "It's been unreal, incredible."

They were forced to resort to drinking their own urine, and said they were most afraid at night.

'Unable to walk'

They were taken to a clinic on Ly Son island, about 54km (34 miles) off the coast of central Quang Ngai province, said Nguyen Thanh Tung, deputy head of the island's People's Committee.

The centre's director, Le Van Phuong, said the two men were in poor condition when they arrived.

"When we received them on Saturday afternoon, they were cold, exhausted and could not walk on their own," he said. "We warmed them up and gave them food. They are in good condition now, ready to return home."

When that may be remains unclear.

A speed boat was sent to Ly Son island on Sunday to take the men to mainland Vietnam, but was forced to turn back because of rough waves, Mr Nguyen said.