The crew of the Liberian-flagged tanker Horten, along with U.S. Coast Guard personnel in San Juan, rescued a Belgian ocean rower late on Wednesday after his boat capsized in rough seas over 1,100 nautical miles east of Puerto Rico.
Benoit Bourguet, 47, was participating in the World’s Toughest Row, a solo race covering 3,000 miles from the Canary Islands to Antigua. His rowing boat, City of Liverpool, was hit by two rogue waves in 13- to 15-foot seas, causing it to capsize. Bourguet had to abandon his boat and use his life raft.
The rescue operation started around 2 a.m. when Coast Guard Sector San Juan received an emergency signal from an unregistered 406 MHz EPIRB, followed by a second alert from Bourguet’s personal locator beacon. Attempts to contact Bourguet through race organizers were unsuccessful, leading the Coast Guard to issue an Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) call to nearby commercial ships.
The 1,092-foot tanker Horten, on its way from Germany to offshore Guyana, responded to the call and changed its course, traveling over 100 miles for more than 12 hours to reach the reported location. Using updated beacon data, the crew eventually spotted a life raft in the heavy seas and confirmed Bourguet was there.
Despite the difficult conditions, the crew managed to recover Bourguet using a lifering. He was dehydrated but otherwise in good health after spending nearly 24 hours adrift, having kept his overturned boat connected to the raft.
“We are proud of the teamwork between our watchstanders and the brave crew of the tanker Horten, which led to the successful rescue of a sailor,” said Lt. Kenneth Snyder, mission coordinator at Coast Guard Sector San Juan. “Their quick action reflects the professionalism and compassion typical of the maritime community.”
Zodiac Maritime, the managers of the Horten, also commended the crew’s efforts.
“We take great pride in our crew, whose professionalism and skill in tough conditions, along with close cooperation with the U.S. Coast Guard, helped save a life,” said Tanuj Luthra, the chief operating officer of Zodiac.
This incident highlights the importance of properly registered emergency beacons for safety at sea. Coast Guard officials stressed that accurate registration of beacons greatly enhances response times and rescue effectiveness.
The Horten and race organizers are working together to arrange for Bourguet’s transfer to shore at a later time.
The rescue illustrates the essential function of the Automated Mutual-Assistance Vessel Rescue (AMVER) system, the Coast Guard’s voluntary global ship-reporting network. This system links distressed vessels with nearby commercial ships. By providing real-time position data and routing details, AMVER allowed watchstanders to quickly identify the Horten as the closest vessel to respond, significantly reducing search time.