A 62-year-old French man was tossed in freezing cold ocean waters for 16 hours after his boat capsized, the BBC reported. The man sailed from Lisbon, but due to inclement weather, his boat capsized and got stuck under the car at 4 pm. The rescue operation had to wait until the next morning.
The 12-meter-long ship, which left the Portuguese capital Lisbon, issued a distress signal a few minutes before 9:30 p.m. Monday from the Atlantic Ocean, exactly 14 miles (22.5 km) from the Cesargas Islands. The Spanish Coast Guard detected the signals and launched a rescue boat with five divers on board, To find and rescue the unnamed man.
The expedition succeeded in finding the capsized boat, but the sea was too rough to retrieve the man from the hull floating on the surface of the water, mast down.
Since the sea was very rough and dusk was quickly approaching, the rescue team decided to attach balloons to the ship to prevent it from sinking, and decided to wait until morning.
The next day, two divers swam under the boat to rescue the sailor, who was found wearing a neoprene survival suit and knee-deep in frigid waters.
“Cada vida salvada es nuestra mayor Rewa”
Así fue el Resate was achieved yesterday by Salvamento Marítimo al Tipulante del Velero francés JEANNE SOLO SAILOR que estaba quilla al sol a 14 miles NNW de Islas Sisargas. pic.twitter.com/gqobWTSoWc
– SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (salvamentogob) August 3, 2022
It was almost impossible for the man to survive
Coast Guard divers said. The rescue team took the man to hospital by helicopter, where he was released after a short examination.
The Spanish Association for Maritime Safety and Rescue wrote in a tweet: Lives saved are their greatest reward.
(Cover Photo: Salvamento Maritimo/Reuters)
