Detectives have charged a second man after another man died while attempting to retrieve a haul of cocaine from the Hunter River in Newcastle.

Bystanders tried to revive the suspected drug mule who was dressed in diving gear.

More than 50 kilograms of the illicit substance were found near him, with an estimated street value of $20 million.

It’s alleged that he was hired to collect 54 kilos of cocaine from the bottom of an Argentinian cargo ship.

Police will allege James Blee and his 20-year-old son James Blee Junior were behind the attempted importation.

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