A Fife Merchant Navy cadet who was stranded among pirates in the Indian Ocean is rumoured to be due home this week.
David Gorniak, who comes from Springfield near Cupar, was stuck off the coast of Singapore with three other Scottish Merchant Navy cadets who are studying with Clyde Marine Training through Glasgow College.
They were left stranded on Hanjin Louisiana after the Hanjin Shipping Co went into receivership leaving ships adrift around the world.
The Fife 27-year-old has been studying for two years and was spending five months with the firm as part of his course.
When the news broke, David was said by his family to be “taking this in his stride” and passing time by reading and writing reports, but had fears there were no medical supplies on board.
Along with Ruaridh Hanna, 22, from Inverness, Gavin McPhail, 21, from Paisley and another 25-year-old who asked not to be named, David was due to port in Sri Lanka at the beginning of September.
However, they were diverted to the Malacca Straight, an area notorious for piracy, where they have remained in limbo hoping they would be able to reach home as quickly as possible.
But now there are unconfirmed reports that the Hanjin Louisiana is expected to dock on Wednesday with the four students expected back in Scotland on Thursday.
David’s brother James said the family had heard the news of the development, but that had yet to be confirmed.
“It is still unconfirmed, but we are hopeful,” he said.
Last week Hanjin’s shares rallied when its largest shareholder agreed to lend the company more than £40 million so it could offload the £10 billion worth of cargo aboard its ships
