Six people, aged between 25 and 50, who were in a small boat, were rescued by the Brazilian Navy’s (MB) training vessel (NE) Brazil about 83 km (45 nautical miles) from Cape Palos in Spain.
The distress call was made the night before yesterday (2) to the ship’s crew, who, according to the Navy, discovered the rigid hull vessel with an outboard motor while sailing between Civitavecchia (Italy) and Lisbon (Portugal).
According to the Navy, the six, who described themselves as Algerians, were in good health, which was confirmed by the ship’s medical team.
“Moreover, there were no indications that they had been at sea for a long time,” said the ship’s commander, Captain at Sea and War Ricardo Araújo.
The Brazilian sailors are on a training voyage of the Naval Guard.
Shortly after the distress call, the Brazilian ship approached to check the condition of the Algerians and provide first aid, offering water, food, and life jackets to all.
A speedboat was heading toward the six, who were trying to enter Spain when they drifted off.
“In this way, the Brazilian Navy alerted the Spanish maritime authorities, who are responsible for search and rescue in the area. Until their arrival, the Brazilian ship and its speedboat remained alongside to ensure the safety and basic care of the foreigners,” the Navy said.
According to the commander, it was already dark, the wind was strong, and the forecast indicated that the weather conditions would worsen even more in the following hours, which indeed happened, but still, the small boat was spotted with the request for help.
“We provided all the necessary support and kept the crew safe until the arrival of the Spanish aircraft that completed the rescue. It’s a sense of duty. My crew responded immediately, and we could not shy away from saving lives in danger at sea,” he said.
Rescues
The Navy also said that by the beginning of August this year, it had counted more than 140 search and rescue operations at sea and saved 292 lives on national territory alone.
Data from the Navy’s search and rescue service, Salvamar Brasil, as it is also known, indicates a total of 1,277 incidents in the last three years, an average of one mission per day.
“Rescue missions are carried out for various reasons, from ship mishaps to crew members’ health problems,” he concluded.