The brave sailor was eventually rescued from the rough waters by Spanish coastguard divers in an operation they described as “verging on the impossible”. The 40-foot vessel, named Jeanne SOLO Sailor, sent out a distress signal at 11:23 p.m. local time on Monday, 14 miles from the Sisargas Islands off Spain’s northwestern Galicia region, the coast guard said. Tracking data shows it had set sail from the Portuguese capital of Lisbon on Sunday morning. As a coastguard vessel carrying five divers began the rescue mission, one of three helicopters sent to assist the search spotted the overturned vessel at sunset. A diver ascended the ship’s hull to look for signs of life, and the sailor inside, who has not been named, responded to his pounding on the hull by striking from within. Spanish divers and helicopters found the 40-foot Jean SOLO Sailor 14 miles off the Sisargas Islands off Spain’s northwestern Galicia region on Monday. Twitter/@salvamentogobA diver descended into the hull of the sailboat and exchanged blows with the sailor trapped inside. Twitter/@salvamentogob Rescuers attached flotation balloons to the hull of the overturned boat to stabilize it in rough seas. SALVAMENTO MARITIMO/AFP via Gett With the sea too rough to attempt a rescue, they attached buoyancy balloons to the ship’s hull to prevent it from sinking further and waited until morning, with the Frenchman still trapped below. Two divers swam under the boat to help the sailor, who was found wearing a neoprene survival suit and submerged up to his knees in water. “Every life we ​​save is our greatest reward,” the Spanish Society for Maritime Safety and Rescue said in a tweet. Vicente Cobelo, a member of the coast guard’s special operations team, told a local station that the man voluntarily jumped into the icy water and swam under the boat to reach the surface. Two divers swam under the boat to help the sailor.SALVAMENTO MARITIMO/AFP via GettThe Spanish coast guard described the daring rescue operation as “close to impossible”. SALVAMENTO MARITIMO/AFP via Gett “On his own initiative, he entered the water and dived free, helped by the divers who had to pull him in because it was difficult for him to get out in his suit,” he said. He was airlifted to safety and taken to hospital, but was discharged a short time later with a clean bill of health.
With Post cables