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On Saturday, June 13, a rescue operation took place off the coast of Montserrat after the sailboat Namaste lost its mast. Alone on board, the skipper first reported the loss of his mast before a leak compromised the integrity of his sailboat.
An EPIRB beacon detected south of Montserrat
At 2:30 p.m. Martinique time, CROSS Antilles Guyane received a distress signal from an EPIRB associated with the sailboat Namaste.
Shortly after receiving this alert, the skipper contacted the CROSS operators on VHF channel 16. He reported that his sailboat had just lost its mast south of Montserrat. At this point, he planned to assess the damage to the boat before continuing his voyage.
The mast is damaging the sailboat's hull
Twenty minutes later, the situation is changing rapidly. The skipper calls the CROSS to report that a major leak has developed on board.
According to information provided during the operation, this water ingress was caused by damage to the hull resulting from the mast after it was dismasted. When the rigging struck the hull, it created a breach that the sailor was unable to control. The sailboat?s buoyancy is then directly threatened, and the risk of losing the boat becomes imminent.
Upon receiving this new alert, the CROSS Antilles Guyane dispatched Civil Security helicopter Dragon 971. At the same time, MAYDAY RELAY messages were broadcast to alert vessels in the area. The rescue coordination center also contacted the authorities in Montserrat to monitor the operation.
The helicopter reaches the area in about 40 minutes.
The skipper was rescued by Dragon 971
Once on site, the crew of Dragon 971 began a winching operation. A rescuer from SDIS 971 was lowered down to the sailor to prepare for his evacuation. At 3:50 p.m., the skipper was brought aboard the helicopter. The operation proceeded without any particular difficulty despite the sailboat?s location. The sailor was then transported to the Raizet Civil Security base in Guadeloupe, where he was disembarked in good health.
Left to its own devices, the sailboat sank to a depth of several hundred meters.
An operation coordinated by CROSS Antilles Guyane
The rescue took place within the area of responsibility of CROSS Antilles Guyane, which covers part of the Caribbean, French Guiana, and a large portion of the Atlantic Ocean.
This area also includes several territories and independent states in the Caribbean, including Montserrat. Coordination among the various emergency services enabled the skipper to receive prompt medical attention after the Namaste lost its mast and began taking on water due to damage to the hull.
