For sailors three decades earlier, the sea was still a Conradian one.

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Like 41 other sailors from three cargo ships anchored at the port of Kalba, in the tiny Fujairah emirate, he was left to his own devices months ago by his employers, a Dubai-based shipping company.

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Two of those were confirmed to be sailors from the sunken ships, and Interfax said the other three were also believed to be seamen from the ships.

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