Tanker Crew Rescues Solo Rower in Rough Seas in Mid-Atlantic
Transoceanic rowing is among the most difficult of all undertakings on the water, and attempted crossings end in emergency rescues nearly every year, often made by merchant mariners who happen to be on a similar route. On Wednesday night, a tanker crew answered the call of duty and rescued a man who had run into trouble on a transatlantic rowing race, despite difficult conditions and rough seas.
The survivor, 47-year-old Benoit Bourguet, had departed Spain in December and gotten under way for Antigua under his own power, accompanied by other competitors in the "World's Toughest Row." As of Wednesday, the fastest multi-rower teams in the race were already arriving at the finish line, but solo rowers like Bourguet still remained at sea. He had about 950 nautical miles left to go, per the race's online leaderboard.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Coast Guard Sector San Juan received an unregistered EPIRB alert at a position about 1,100 nautical miles to the east of Puerto Rico. A second alert from a PLB came in shortly after at the same location. The Coast Guard contacted the race organizers, who reported that they were unable to reach Bourguet. Though they did not know it, Bourguet's boat had been hit by two rogue waves in seas of 13-15 feet, capsizing the vessel.
The mid-Atlantic location was far too far away for a helicopter rescue, so Sector San Juan activated an AMVER alert to request assistance from nearby shipping. The oil tanker Horten answered the call and deviated slightly south of her course in order to render assistance. Horten transited about 110 nm over the next 12 hours to reach the position of the beacon, and the crew found Bourguet alive in his life raft, which was still lashed to his upturned rowboat.
The sea state was still rough for a raft-to-ship transfer, so the crew of Horten used a life ring to retrieve Bourguet and bring him aboard. He was in good condition, if dehydrated. The pickup was swift: AIS data shows that Horten only slowed for a few hours and then got under way.
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"The Horten's participation in the AMVER program was critical and the crew's selflessness and swift response embody the spirit of this voluntary program, where mariners stand ready to help one another. It is a true reflection of professionalism and compassion that defines the maritime community," mission coordinator Lt. Kenneth Snyder said in a statement. He added that the case shows the importance of having - and properly registering - a working EPIRB on board.
Bourguet remains on board as Horten continues on her voyage to the offshore FPSOs of Guyana, and arrangements for his disembarkation are still under discussion, the Coast Guard said.