TWO men were plucked from shark-infested waters after clinging onto a piece of wood for 15 HOURS in northern Australia.

Man-eating great white sharks were chillingly videoed circling the cousins before they were saved by a sharp-eyed oil tanker captain, who turned his vessel around.

The pair were fortunate to have escaped with their lives, as the predators loomed within metres – and one large shark lunged towards one of the men as his cousin was being winched to safety, reports the Daily Mail.

The incredible rescue happened in the Torres Strait shipping channel, between mainland Australia and Papua New Guinea.

Rescue authorities told local media the men's timber fishing boat capsized after it was swamped in rough conditions.

The cousins, aged 37 and 47, spent an entire night drifting in two to three metre ocean swells and around 30 knot winds, reports Tropic Now.

Seven News says that they clung onto a petrol drum and a piece of wood from the sunken boat, as they were swept 10km (6.2miles) during the night.

Luckily, the captain of oil tanker MT Godam, Ritesh Bhamaria, spotted their 'specks' – waving arms – in the sea.

He spun his vessel round to save the pair, who had been treading water for 15 hours.

Mr Bhamaria said: "I saw some hand or some object or some movement in the water on the starboard side.

"I just turned the other way and commenced rescue straight away."

Their biggest fear – apart from the sharks – was that they would lose sight of the fishermen, and that they would disappear under the waves.

He added: "It's very, very difficult once you lose sight in such a vast ocean. It's very, very difficult to spot them."

After rescuing one relieved man, the captain said, "we gave him liquorice, he was feeling very dehydrated, [plus] some water, some juices".

Despite being thirsty and exhausted, the fisherman told the crew that he felt 'good'.

A rescue helicopter then arrived to winch up the second man.

They were described as "extremely tired and anxious to get home," by cousin Kabay Tamu.

He told 7News: "They were really just holding to their faith and praying that a miracle would happen."

Joseph Zeller, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority senior duty manager, said the men were “incredibly lucky to have been spotted in that sea state".

He told Tropic: “Although we have conducted many rescue operations in the Torres Strait, this one was quite incredible.

“The fact that the crew on board the MT Godam spotted the men – and could manoeuvre in that shipping channel to rescue them – is quite extraordinary.

“This rescue is yet another warning not to go to sea with distressed beacons and without two-way communication.”

Their dramatic rescue comes days after a bodyboarder was savaged to death in November at a tourist hotspot in Australia.

The man was spotted being attacked by a 12ft predator at Cable Beach in Broome, Western Australia.

CPR was carried out by police officers at the scene but the man – who was in his 50s – could not be saved.

He was the eighth to die in a shark attack in Australia this year, the highest toll since 1929 when nine died.

Experts insist shark attacks remain rare and the figures are roughly in line with previous numbers over the last decade.

Shark warnings have been issued across Australia this year – with at least two mass closures of beaches over fears of circling great whites.

GREAT WHITE SHARK FACTS

This marine beast’s mouth is equipped with a set of 300 sharp, triangular teeth.

Great white sharks are the biggest predatory fish in the world – growing up to 20ft long and 5,000lbs

• Unconfirmed reports claim a 37ft great white was caught off White Head Island in Canada back in 1930
• Sea lions, seals, small toothed whales, sea turtles, and carrion are all on the menu
• Chances of humans dying due to a shark attack are slim at one in 3,700,000
• Great whites have an exceptional sense of smell to detect prey
• This species can be found throughout the world’s oceans, mostly in cool waters close to the coast
• Some great whites have been measured at 6m – that’s half the length of a bus
• They have a streamlined shape and powerful tails that propel them through the water at over 60km per hour, says National Geographic

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