Two French Nationals Rescued After Disappearing at Sea

In a fortunate turn of events, two French nationals who had been reported missing at sea since Sunday were successfully located and rescued on Thursday evening, May 28, by a commercial vessel near the northern coast of Morocco, specifically off the coast of Assilah. This news was confirmed by the National Maritime Coordination and Rescue Center (CNSM), which has been actively involved in the search efforts.

The distress signal was first received at approximately 2:15 AM on Sunday, alerting authorities that the catamaran named “Stella” was experiencing difficulties. Thanks to a coordinated communication effort, the vessel was able to locate the two individuals after sending an urgent message to all ships operating within the search area. A representative from CNSM stated that identification was crucial and that the Moroccan authorities assisted the crew in confirming their identities. Following the rescue, plans were made to transport the rescued individuals to Cadiz, Spain, likely during the night.

Search Operations and Circumstances of the Incident

Prior to the rescue, the catamaran and an empty lifeboat were found adrift approximately three nautical miles (around five kilometers) from the coast of Tangier. A comprehensive search operation was launched, involving two aircraft, two helicopters, and three maritime units dispatched by Moroccan authorities, alongside divers and rescue teams who scoured the shoreline for any signs of the missing boat or crew. Additionally, a French Navy aircraft was deployed to aid in the search but had to leave the vicinity the same evening, as reported by the Moroccan maritime rescue agency. Satellite searches were also conducted, expanding the search area to include Spanish waters by Wednesday.

While the exact cause of the incident remains unclear, it has been noted that the individuals did not have a distress beacon on board. According to reports from Adrien Danzé, the father of one of the missing men, Vincent, a distress signal indicating water ingress was sent out, followed by a second message indicating that the crew was abandoning the vessel for the lifeboat. The catamaran was en route from Martinique in the French Caribbean to a European port, either Barcelona or Marseille, at the time of the incident.

As reported by ouest-france.fr.