Far off the Canary Islands, a BAVARIA customer got into distress at sea. A rescue helicopter recovered him from high waves.
A dramatic case reached the claims department of BAVARIA AG shortly before Easter. Between the Canary Islands and Madeira, a sailor had got into such heavy seas with his 50-foot yacht that his rudder was damaged and he was adrift in the choppy Atlantic, unable to manoeuvre.
The skipper then saw no other option than to radio “Mayday”. A nearby oil tanker quickly changed course, but was unable to salvage the BAVARIA client due to the high waves. On the Azores, a rescue helicopter therefore took off without further ado and recovered the sailor in very stormy conditions; the yacht had to be left drifting in the sea.
The fact that the case ended without personal injury is of course the main thing. However, as the case could not have ended quite so smoothly, BAVARIA AG advises to always keep an eye on the weather situation and not to overestimate oneself and one’s ship.
Sandra Ahrabian, CEO of BAVARIA AG, says: “Especially in spring, when you really want to get out on the water, you should study the weather forecast carefully. The weather situation is not yet as stable as it often is later in the year.”
