While weather conditions were calm on Saturday morning, a fast leak on board the Madrigal required a large-scale intervention by the French National Sea Rescue Society (SNSM), the fire department and the French Navy. This operation illustrates the responsiveness of the French maritime rescue chain to emergency situations several miles off the coast.
An immediate alert and an uncertain situation
At 9.40 am, CROSS Med received a distress call from the Madrigal the boat was drifting about six miles south of the island of Les Embiez. The yacht reported significant water ingress, with four people on board. At the same time, a pleasure craft ( SSK2 ) and a passenger ship ( Southern Cross ) are en route to the estimated position.
At 9:54 am, a distress beacon was detected, located ten miles further south than the initial position, i.e. twenty nautical miles south of Bandol. This uncertainty about the position of the classic in distress necessitated reinforced coordination to cross-check signals and adjust the search zone.
Multi-sector deployment of emergency services
The CROSS quickly calls in several SNSM units: the launches Timothy (SNS 7-009), Rascas (SNS 7-010) and Bec de l'Aigle III (SNS 17-06). A fire department zodiac and a French Navy helicopter were also mobilized.
At 10:25 a.m., the helicopter positioned itself over the yacht, while the Southern Cross visually confirms a distress smoke. Visit Madrigal is located and the first rescuers are thrown on board.
A major but manageable waterway
At 10:40 a.m., the nautical means were in contact with the Madrigal . The water was reaching the thighs inside the boat, so the situation was critical. After inspection, the source of the water ingress was identified: the propeller trough had broken, causing a very large ingress of water, which the on-board bilge pumps were unable to spread. The Southern Cross helps dry out the bottom and stabilize the yacht.
At 11:20 a.m., the Bec de l'Aigle III passes a trailer and the convoy heads for Bandol, escorted by the Timothy . At 1:20 pm, the harbor master's office informs us that it is impossible to haul the ship to Bandol, forcing the convoy to continue to the port of La Ciotat.
End of mission and towing to La Ciotat
At 3:00 pm, the yacht and its four passengers docked safely in the large dock of the La Ciotat shipyard. No injuries were reported. The operation lasted over five hours and involved seven sea and airborne resources.
The Madrigal reminds us of the importance of coordination between the various components of the sea rescue system. Despite an uncertain situation and a significant distance from the coast, the responsiveness of the CROSS, the cooperation of the units at sea and the joint use of nautical and air resources enabled this mission to be completed without loss of life. A textbook case for future long-distance rescue exercises.
