Seven Fishermen Rescued From Listing Vessel off A Coruña
Seven fishermen from a stricken vessel were rescued by good Samaritans off the coast of A Coruña on Monday, according to Spanish SAR agency Salvamento Maritimo.
At about 1050 hours on Monday morning, the agency's rescue center in A Coruña received a distress call on VHF from a fishing vessel, the Abra de Muxia. The crew reported that they had just rescued seven people from another fishing vessel, the Itoitz, which had taken on a severe list.
Given the situation aboard, the master of Itoitz had ordered the crew to abandon ship into the liferaft, and the Abra picked them up shortly thereafter.
A Spanish rescue helicopter rendezvoused with the Abra and medevaced all seven crewmembers, delivering them to shore at A Coruña's local airport. No injuries were reported. (Mid-evacuation, though, the same helicopter stopped to pick up another fisherman who had suffered a head injury on a different vessel, per local media.)
After the evacuation, Itoitz remained afloat, though with a pronounced list. The Salvamento Maritimo had a SAR lifeboat maintain watch on scene for navigational safety, as the vessel continued to drift north of Cape Ortegal, making about two knots on a northeasterly course.
A tug has been chartered for a towing attempt, owner Javier Sar Romero told La Voz de Galicia. However, the forecast is not favorable for the coming days, with winds of 30-plus knots and waves of 15-plus feet expected, and the swell has prevented access.
Container Feeder Rescues Solo Sailor in Rough Weather off Bermuda
On Tuesday, the crew of a container feeder rescued a single-handed sailor from a disabled yacht off the coast of Bermuda, despite challenging surface conditions.
On Saturday, the rescue coordination center in Bermuda received word by email that the 52-foot sailing yacht Alcyon Blue was in distress. The vessel had suffered engine and generator failures in rough weather while on a voyage from Antigua to Bermuda. High winds had damaged the yacht's storm jib, and diesel fuel fumes were contaminating the interior of the yacht, leaving the single-handed sailor operating the vessel in a state of dizziness and nausea. He activated his EPIRB to summon help, and the message was passed to the Bermuda RCC.
Local media identified the sailor as Cypriot national Demetris Lappas, a former Olympic windsurfer. (Lappas' social media accounts identify him as the operator of the Alcyon Blue.) Lappas had a Garmin InReach device with him, which he was able to use to keep in touch with family members who relayed messages to the authorities.
By Sunday, Alcyon Blue had drifted to a location about 100 nautical miles to the southeast of Bermuda. Prevailing winds were in the range of 30 knots from the west, and conditions were rough enough that Lappas asked for assistance in abandoning ship. The Bermuda RCC asked a nearby passenger vessel, the floating-library ship Logos Hope, to divert to assist. The small container feeder Bermuda Islander also responded to the call.
The Islander arrived first at about 0100 on Tuesday morning. Conditions on scene were rough, with seas of 20-plus feet, and the master deemed it prudent to stand by to await calmer seas and the arrival of the Logos Hope. After multiple attempts by both vessels, the Islander managed to come alongside the stricken yacht, and the crew brought Lappas safely aboard. After assessing his condition and determining him to be uninjured, the Islander's crew resumed their commercial voyage to New Jersey. Logos Hope has now arrived in Bermuda for a weeks-long call, performing her mission of selling books to the public.
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