Front-Pollux

Two crew members off the Swiss flagged s/y 'Nina Pope' (MMSI:269107270) were rescued and one was presumed drowned after the yacht sank about 2,400 kilometers southwest of Cape Town. They were rescued on March 13, 2024, from a life raft after swift intervention by South Africa’s Maritime Rescue Co-ordination Centre which requested the passing 'Front Pollux' to divert its course to the yacht, which had been on its way to Cape Town from Tristan da Cunha. Despite challenging conditions, with winds up to 74 km/h and swells of up to eight metres, the tanker managed to recover two male survivors from the life raft. The German skipper of the yachht could not be saved and was presumed to have gone down with the vessel. The survivors, one with dual Swiss/US citizenship and the other Brazilian, have since communicated with their respective embassies in Cape Town, facilitated by the tanker. Both men did not require medical assistance and were currently en route to Cape Town. The National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) emergency operations centre (EOC) will be assisting with their arrival early next week.