A 62-year-old Frenchman spent 16 hours in a bubble in his capsized boat before being rescued by the Spanish coast guard on Tuesday. The rescue “bordered on the impossible,” according to one of the five divers involved in the operation.
The Frenchman had left the Portuguese capital Lisbon on Sunday morning in a 12-meter sailboat. On Monday evening at around half past eight he sent a distress signal from his boat, 14 miles off the Gallic coast. Three helicopters and a rescue boat of the Spanish coast guard then went on a search.
The capsized sailboat came into view as the sun set. The craft floated upside down in the Atlantic Ocean. A diver pounded on the hull and heard a knock from within. However, the sea was too rough for a rescue operation.
To prevent the sailboat from sinking further, buoys were attached to it, according to images shared by the Spanish coast guard. On Tuesday morning, two divers swam under the boat, where they found the skipper in a survival suit.
The man swam with the divers, but needed help along the way because his suit got stuck. Once outside the boat, he was taken to hospital by helicopter. The man did not sustain any injuries from the incident and was released from hospital after a short time.
