A Japanese citizen aboard a yacht “at risk of sinking” was rescued on Wednesday by the Portuguese Navy off the coast of Caminha, in the district of Viana do Castelo.
In a statement released Thursday, the Navy reported that the 31-year-old man was participating in the international regatta ‘La Boulangère Mini Transat 2025’ when the incident occurred.
The alert was issued through the Lisbon Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC Lisboa), revealing that “the yacht, with one crew member on board, was taking on water and at risk of sinking, while sailing 111 nautical miles (approximately 205 kilometers) northwest of Caminha.”
MRCC Lisboa then requested assistance from a nearby merchant ship, and the sailor “was promptly rescued without the need for medical assistance.”
The Navy emphasized in their notice that “through its Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centres, it ensures a continuous response in maritime areas under national responsibility to incidents that may occur, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year”.
The Portuguese Navy coordinated the rescue of 388 people in 2024. In a statement released on January 1, the Armed Forces branch noted that “through the Maritime Search and Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCC), recorded in 2024 a total of 437 search and rescue operations, saving 388 people”.
In mainland Portugal, there were 248 search and rescue operations, saving 263 people. In the Azores, there were 162 operations and 96 people saved, while Madeira registered a total of 27 operations and 29 people saved.
Different organizations contribute to the success of the search and rescue system, and resources from various entities, including the Navy, National Maritime Authority, Portuguese Air Force (FAP), and other entities part of the Auxiliary Structure of the National Search and Rescue System, especially the National Institute of Medical Emergency – Center for Coordination of Urgent Patients at Sea (INEM CODU-MAR), National and Regional Civil Protection and Firefighter Services, Maritime and Port Administrations, Coastal Traffic Control System, among others.
The Navy also highlighted the “support provided by merchant ships and fishing vessels in search and rescue operations, which divert from their commercial routes and interrupt their professional activity to provide the necessary assistance, always coordinated by the National Centers – MRCC Lisboa and MRCC Delgada”.
