On Sunday night, the catamaran “Stella” issued an alert, reporting that it was in difficulty. This boat and a life raft were found empty three nautical miles, or approximately five kilometers from the coast of Tangier.
The two French people missing at sea since Sunday were found Thursday evening “safe and sound by a merchant ship which picked them up off the coast of Assilah” in the north of Morocco, indicated the National Center for Coordination and Maritime Rescue.
The ship managed to spot them “Thanks to the message sent to all boats entering the search perimeter. Then we had to make sure it was really them.”a Center official told AFP. The Moroccan Center supported the boat’s staff in the process of identifying the two French people. “They will be unloaded in Cadiz (southern Spain, editor’s note), probably during the night”added the manager who did not wish to give his name.
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On Sunday, around 3:15 a.m. (Paris time), the Center received an alert reporting that the catamaran “Stella” was in difficulty. The boat, still floating, as well as a life raft were found empty three nautical miles, or approximately five kilometers from the coast of Tangier.
Causes of incident still unknown
Large-scale searches were then launched to find a tender boat, equipped with an outboard motor which the crew also had. On the Moroccan side, two planes, as many helicopters and three maritime units had been deployed as well as Civil Protection divers and rescuers who combed along the coast, according to the Center. A French navy plane was deployed on Monday before leaving the search area the same evening, according to the Moroccan maritime rescue organization. Satellite research had also been set up. Since Wednesday, the search had been extended to Spanish waters.
The causes of the incident remain unknown, according to the same source which specified that “The boaters did not have a distress beacon”. According to Adrien Danzé, the father of Vincent (25 years old), one of the two missing, a message reporting a leak was sent, then a second a little later, saying that the crew was leaving the boat for the annex.
The boat was being transported from Martinique, in the French West Indies, to a European port, Barcelona or Marseille, Mr. Danzé told AFP.
