SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico — Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders and the crew of the Horten Liberian-flagged tanker ship rescued a capsized rower in the Atlantic Ocean east of Puerto Rico, Wednesday night.
Rescued is Benoit Bourguet, 47, a Belgium citizen, after his single-man rowing vessel, City of Liverpool, was reportedly struck by two rogue waves and capsized in 13 to 15-foot seas which forced Bourguet to deploy and board his life raft.
Bourguet and the City of Liverpool vessel were reportedly competing in the World’s Toughest Row Race, a 3,000-mile rowing race from San Sebastian de la Gomera, Spain, to Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua. No other vessels in the race have been reported to be in distress.
Coast Guard Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders received an unregistered 406 MHz Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon EPIRB signal from the City of Liverpool rowboat at approximately 2 a.m. Wednesday, alerting of a possible distress approximately 1,100 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico. Afterwards, watchstanders received a second 406 MHz emergency distress signal from a personal locating beacon device from the same area. Watchstanders were able to contact World’s Toughest Row Race Safety Coordinator, who confirmed they had not been able to contact Bourguet after numerous messages had gone unanswered.
Watchstanders issued an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) callout to contact the 1,092-foot Horten tanker and Enhanced Group Calling (EGC) to notify other vessels in the vicinity to be on the lookout for distress. They also contacted the rowing vessel Old Sea Dogs, also participating in the race, who made VHF radio callouts to Bourguet, however, these calls also went unanswered.
Meanwhile, the Horten tanker, which was transiting on a voyage from Germany of Offshore Guyana, received the AMVER communication and diverted for over 12 hours transiting approximately 110 miles to the distress signal’s position. During the response, Coast Guard watchstanders maintained communication with the Horten tanker ship’s crew providing updates to the beacon’s position. Once in the vicinity, Horten’s ship crew sighted a life raft and confirmed a survivor. Due to the heavy sea states, the Horten ship crew used a life ring to safely recover the survivor, who was confirmed to be Bourguet. Bourguet, who was dehydrated but otherwise in good health, reported being in distress for approximately 24 hours. He also maintained his capsized vessel tied to the life raft until his rescue.
“We are very proud of the seamless coordination between our Sector San Juan Command Center watchstanders and the courageous crew and captain of the motor tanker Horten which resulted in the successful rescue of a mariner,” said Lt. Kenneth Snyder, Coast Guard Sector San Juan mission coordinator for the case. “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. We extend our appreciation to the race safety coordinator and participants who helped confirm the distress, and highlight the importance of mariners having a functional EPIRB that is properly registered in the NOAA database.”
"We are immensely proud of our crew, whose professionalism, exemplary display of good seamanship in challenging circumstances and close coordination with the United States Coast Guard, helped save a life today,” said Tanuj Luthra, Chief Operating Officer of Zodiac Maritime, Horten tanker’s managing company. “This demonstrates Zodiac Maritime's unwavering commitment to safety, and our responsibility to protect all lives at sea."
The Horten tanker ship and race coordinators will be coordinating Bourguet’s transfer from the ship at a later time.
Registering your 406Mhz emergency beacon is the fastest and simplest way for Search and Rescue authorities to respond to your distress or confirm a false alert. All U.S. coded beacons must be registered through the NOAA US Beacon Registration.
The Automated Mutual Assistance Vessel Rescue System, commonly known as AMVER, was established in 1958 that is sponsored by the United States Coast Guard. AMVER serves as a computer-based voluntary global ship-reporting system used worldwide by search and rescue authorities to arrange for assistance to persons in distress at sea. Any commercial vessel, regardless of nation or flag, over 1,000 gross tons on voyages of 24 hours or greater is encouraged to enroll and participate in AMVER. Other vessels such as private yachts, research vessels, and even floating production storage and offloading vessels (FPSOs) can enroll. For more information on how to enroll visit http://www.amver.com and click on “Enrollment.”
Make a difference on land, at sea or in the air with the Coast Guard and visit www.gocoastguard.com to find out how to be part of a team.
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