Yesterday, the Portuguese Navy rescued a 71-year-old man of French nationality, accompanied by his dog ‘Tito’, who was on board the sailing vessel ‘ANS’, flying the French flag, 120 nautical miles, the equivalent of 222 kilometres, from the island of Madeira.
According to reports, the vessel, which had been adrift for about a month, was found by the Spanish fishing vessel ‘Bidasoa’ “with a broken mast and without propulsion”.
In this sense, “as safety conditions were not met for the transfer of the sailboat’s crew member and his canine companion, the fishing vessel towed the sailboat until it met the Portuguese Navy vessel ‘NRP Zaire’, approximately 80 nautical miles, the equivalent of 148 kilometres, west of Funchal”, the statement reads.
In addition to the rescue, the crew member was assisted on board by the NRP Zaire medical team, and was later transported to a health unit on Madeira Island.
The Ponta Delgada Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Delgada), the Funchal Maritime Search and Rescue Sub-Centre (MRSC Funchal), the NRP Zaire and the Spanish fishing vessel ‘Bidasoa’ were involved in this mission, “highlighting the prompt response and effective coordination that allowed the rescue to be successful, underlining the Navy’s commitment to navigation safety and the safeguarding of human life at sea”.