The speed of intervention of the emergency services, present not far away, was not enough. A yachtsman, who found himself prisoner of his boat turned over by the swell, less than 150 m from the beach of Seignosse (Landes), died, announced the maritime prefecture of the Atlantic.
Shortly before 4 p.m., Etel’s Regional Operational Center for Surveillance and Rescue (CROSS) was “alert by the Seignosse beach station in the Landes that a pleasure boat with two yachtsmen on board was caught in the swell and overturned less than 150 m from the shore, ”says the press release from the maritime prefecture.
A search and rescue system made up of a Navy helicopter (from La Rochelle), a firefighters’ ambulance, a jet ski from the National Society for Sea Rescue (SNSM) from Cap Breton and a ground patrol of gendarmerie was engaged to rescue the two boaters.
Recovered, he could not be revived
One of the two people finally managed to get free and was taken care of by the lifeguards of the beach station, while the other remained stuck in the cabin of the boat.
The latter managed to extricate herself and was picked up by a rescuer, “obviously unconscious”. Despite the first aid measures given on the beach, the victim could not be resuscitated and his death was confirmed by the Samu on his arrival by helicopter from Bayonne.
“Faced with this tragedy, the Atlantic maritime prefecture reiterates the warning issued (Sunday) as to the dangers represented by the wind and the strong swell present since last Saturday on our coast and recommends to boaters and water sports enthusiasts to defer their outings until the return to milder weather conditions”, underlines the maritime safeguard authority in Brest.