NICOSIA, Dec. 28 (Xinhua) -- Seven Syrian refugees were reported to have drowned after their boat capsized while attempting to reach Cyprus, authorities reported on Friday.
They said only one of the eight people on board the boat, a 32-year old man, was saved by clinging to a life vest.
He was picked up by a U.S. registered cargo ship off the southeastern coast of Cyprus on Thursday night and was transferred by helicopter to hospital in the city of Larnaca.
Doctors at the city's hospital said he was in a state of hypothermia after remaining in the water for more than three days.
He told the police that he and other seven people escaped from Seria earlier, then left Tripoli, Libya, on Dec. 21 aboard a boat to reach Cyprus. However, they ran out of fuel and the boat capsized and sank on Dec. 25.
The man said all other people on board drowned, but he managed to hold on to the life vest for three days before he was spotted and picked up by the American registered vessel.
Its captain notified the Search and Rescue Center based in Larnaca, which sent out a police to pick up the man.
However, the Search and Rescue Center said, because of adverse weather conditions and the poor health of the man a helicopter was dispatched to the American vessel to transfer the man to land.
