Search Underway for Missing French Nationals Following Catamaran Incident
In a concerning incident that has captured the attention of the maritime community, two French nationals have gone missing after their catamaran faced severe difficulties off the coast of Tangier, northern Morocco, on Monday, May 25, 2026. The alarming news was confirmed by the National Center for Maritime Coordination and Rescue, as well as by the father of one of the missing individuals, who spoke to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
Reports indicate that the catamaran, named Stella, encountered troubles in the early hours of the morning, prompting a distress alert to be issued around 2:15 AM GMT (3:15 AM local time). Upon responding to the alert, rescue teams discovered the vessel and a lifeboat abandoned and empty approximately three nautical miles, or about five kilometers, from the Tangier coastline. Despite the catamaran still being afloat, it has since been towed to the port of Asilah, located roughly 40 kilometers south of Tangier, as search efforts continue to locate the missing crew members.
As of now, the exact circumstances leading to this incident remain unclear. According to sources close to the investigation, the missing individuals hold French nationality. In a troubling development, it was reported that the father of one of the missing men, Adrien Danzé, received two distress messages from the vessel during the night. The first message, sent at 1:15 AM GMT, indicated that the catamaran was taking on water, while the second message, transmitted at 2:00 AM GMT, notified that the crew was abandoning the boat for the dinghy.
The ongoing search efforts are now focused on locating an auxiliary boat equipped with an outboard motor that was part of the crew's equipment. The incident has raised significant concern, particularly in light of previous maritime accidents in the region. Local authorities are urging anyone with information regarding this case to come forward as the search and rescue operations progress.
As reported by ouest-france.fr.
