The crew of the Zodiac Maritime tanker Horten has rescued a solo rower from a life raft in the Atlantic Ocean after his rowing boat capsized in heavy seas more than 1,000 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico. The incident occurred during the World’s Toughest Row Race, a transoceanic 3,000-mile rowing competition from Spain to Antigua.
Circumstances of the incident
The survivor, 47-year-old Belgian national Benoit Bourguet, was rowing solo aboard the boat City of Liverpool when it was reportedly struck by two rogue waves in seas of approximately 4 to 4.6 metres. The impact caused the boat to capsize, forcing the rower to deploy and board his life raft.
Sector San Juan watchstanders first received a distress signal at around 2:00 a.m., followed shortly by a second alert from a personal locator beacon. Race organisers later confirmed they had been unable to establish contact with Bourguet after multiple attempts.
Tanker diversion and recovery
At the time, Horten was transiting on a voyage from Germany towards offshore Guyana when it received the AMVER alert. The tanker altered course and diverted for more than 12 hours, co6vering roughly 110 nautical miles to reach the reported position.
Upon arrival in the vicinity, the crew sighted a life raft secured to an overturned rowing boat and confirmed the presence of a survivor. Due to the prevailing sea state, the rescue was carried out using a life ring, allowing the crew to safely bring Bourguet on board despite the rough conditions.
The rower was reported to be dehydrated but otherwise in good health. He told rescuers that he had been in distress for approximately 24 hours before being recovered.
The local Coast Guard said the tanker’s participation was critical and highlighted the professionalism and selflessness of the crew in responding swiftly to the distress call.
Zodiac Maritime confirmed it is coordinating with race organisers and relevant authorities to arrange Bourguet’s transfer from the vessel and reunite him with his family as soon as practicable.
