Two stowaways were dumped into shark-infested waters off South Africa by a sailor and his crew who feared the two men had coronavirus, it is alleged.  

The two Tanzanians say they were cast adrift in the Indian Ocean after the crew discovered them hiding on the bulk carrier MV Top Grace.

Despite the ocean currents and the danger of sharks, the two men survived and washed up on Zinkwazi Beach in their life raft.

Seven crew members including the captain have since been charged with attempted murder in South Africa.

The two stowaways were found hiding in a locker room after climbing up the anchor chain when the ship was docked in Durban.

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Crew members on the 600ft vessel found them cowering under a pile of canvas hours after the ship left harbour.

According to the two men, the crew feared they had coronavirus and decided to throw them out rather than heading back to port or quarantining them.

The captain allegedly ordered the ship’s engineer to bring the vessel to a halt before the terrified pair were put in a life raft, given some bottles of water and cast adrift.

The ship then powered away, leaving the stowaways with no food and without sight of land at the mercy of the sea currents in one of the most shark-infested areas of the stormy North Coast. (Mail)