Silver-Supporter

A 52-year-old Lithuanian crew member of the 'Silver Supporter' was found alive in the evening of Feb 16, 2021, off the Austral archipelago, 16 hours after he fell over board. The Papeete Sea Rescue Center had coordinates the SAR-operation in French Polynesia after the vessel had notified it about the disappearance of its chief engineer, who was absent for breakfast. The ship turned around, while the rescue center alerted other ships and sent a French Navy aircraft to the area. Thanks to the calculations of the center, establishing a drift towards the north-west, the ship found the sailor south of the Austral Islands, an archipelago located in the southernmost part of French Polynesia. He spent 16 hours in the water, but his health was stable, even though he was dehydrated. It turned out that around 2 a.m., when he filled his mechanic diary, he went overboard. Coming from Tauranga, the 'Silver Supporter' resumed the voyage towards the Pitcairn Islands.