Melbourne man stuck under pier for five days after wandering down drain

A man who was found stuck underneath a pier is believed to have survived several nights of freezing temperatures while his cries for help went unanswered.

The man was rescued from underneath the pier in the Docklands, central Melbourne, on Thursday morning after a pedestrian heard his faint call for help. 

He was dry when he was pulled to safety, leading rescuers to believe he became stuck after wandering down a drain, Nine News reported. 

As the trembling man was wheeled into an ambulance, he told reporters he was ‘freezing, scared, lost and alone’.

Police initially believed the man had been there overnight, although emergency crews said later on Thursday that his ordeal may have lasted up to five days. 

The man was pulled from a ledge underneath the pier about 9.30am and taken to hospital. 

Rescuers said the ledge was about 35 metres away from the water’s edge, meaning his cries for help were muffled. 

He was dry when he was pulled to safety on Thursday morning, leading rescuers to believe he became stuck under the pier (pictured) after wandering down a drain

Police initially believed the man (pictured) had been there overnight, although emergency crews said later on Thursday that his ordeal may have lasted up to five days

Ambulance Victoria’s Adrian Schwarz said the man was in a disorientated state when he was rescued. 

He said: ‘He’s a bit confused … we’re not exactly sure of his past medical history, but he’s stated he has had some mental health issues.’

Another rescuer told the network the man looked ‘weak and feeble’ by the time crews came to his aid.  

How the man became stuck remains unclear, but his dry condition suggests he didn’t swim underneath the pier.