Ongoing Search Operations in Morocco
As of Monday evening, efforts are intensifying to locate two French citizens who have gone missing following distress signals from their catamaran, which encountered difficulties off the coast of Tangier, northern Morocco. The Moroccan National Center for Maritime Coordination and Rescue has confirmed that the search operations are actively underway. On Sunday, around 2:15 AM local time (1:15 AM GMT), the center received an alert indicating that the catamaran named 'Stella' was in trouble. Upon investigation, rescuers discovered the vessel, along with a lifeboat, both of which were found empty approximately three nautical miles, or about five kilometers, from the shores of Tangier.
The catamaran was still afloat and has since been towed to the port of Asilah, located about forty kilometers south of Tangier. Currently, search efforts are focused on finding an accompanying dinghy that was equipped with an outboard motor, which the crew also possessed. The exact circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with reports indicating that the sailors did not have a distress beacon on board.
Search and Rescue Operations
In response to the situation, a robust search operation has been initiated, involving two aircraft, two helicopters, and three maritime units. Ground rescuers are also scouring the coastline as part of the extensive search efforts. Additionally, a French Navy aircraft was deployed in the early afternoon to assist in the operations, according to sources familiar with the case. The father of Vincent, one of the missing individuals aged 25, reported that a distress message indicating a water ingress was sent at 1:15 AM GMT, followed by a second message at 2:00 AM GMT, stating that the crew was abandoning the ship for the dinghy.
Adrien Danzé, the father, shared that the catamaran was on a delivery voyage from Martinique in the French Caribbean to a European port, either Barcelona or Marseille. This incident brings to mind a tragic event from November 2012 when the catamaran 'Love-Love' sank off the northeastern coast of Morocco during a storm, resulting in the deaths of four French nationals and the disappearance of a fifth individual aged between 60 and 73 years.
As reported by fr.news.yahoo.com.
