Working Conditions Aboard the W-jade

In a dramatic turn of events, four adventurous British women—Jane McIntosh, Clare Lanyon, Olivia Wilson, and Gemma Chalk—found themselves in Saguenay, Quebec, after an attempted row across the Atlantic Ocean aimed at reaching Barbados. The crew, who were roughly 20 days into their expedition to set a women's speed record, encountered serious challenges when a powerful wave severely damaged their boat approximately 400 nautical miles off the coast of Cape Verde. During their struggle against the elements, the rowers broke an oar and lost critical navigation tools, including their GPS. Furthermore, their Automatic Identification System (AIS), which alerts to nearby vessels, was also rendered inoperable, leading to a precarious position. Facing these overwhelming odds, the team made a distress call for help. In a heroic response, the bulk carrier "Rio Grita" arrived at the scene about 11 hours after the distress signal was sent. The ship's crew executed a challenging rescue operation, making seven attempts to secure the women safely onboard. After a tense wait of 16 hours from the initiation of their distress call, the rowers were finally rescued by the "Rio Grita". Following their dramatic rescue, the women spent nearly two weeks aboard the bulk carrier as it journeyed to a Rio Tinto facility located in Saguenay. They arrived on February 26—a date that marked exactly one month since their ill-fated adventure commenced—and promptly boarded a flight back to the United Kingdom. The courageous crew is affiliated with Oceanus Rowing, a company that specializes in organizing trans-ocean rowing expeditions. Their journey, though beset with challenges, exemplifies the spirit of adventure and resilience in the face of adversity.

In a dramatic rescue operation off the coast of Cape Verde, the bulk carrier 'Rio Grita' came to the aid of four courageous rowers—Olivia Wolson, Gemma Chalk, Clare Lanyon, and Jane McIntosh—who were attempting to set a women’s speed record by rowing nearly 3,000 miles from Gran Canaria to Barbados in their vessel, the 'Fire Ant'. The journey commenced on January 26, 2016, but turned perilous when a distress signal was urgently sent on February 13 at 9:08 a.m., about 400 miles from Cape Verde, as their 8.5-metre rowing boat faced multiple capsizes. This unfortunate situation caused the loss of vital equipment such as oars and GPS systems, leaving the rowers stranded without effective navigation or maneuvering capabilities. Upon receiving their mayday call, the UK Coastguard coordinated responses, with the 'Rio Grita' being the closest vessel, approximately 90 nautical miles away. The crew quickly altered their course towards the stranded rowers, who waited for over 11 hours before being rescued on February 14 at 1:25 a.m. Despite challenging weather conditions, the bulk carrier successfully reached the rowers, requiring over three hours to facilitate their transfer onboard. Utilizing a rope ladder, the women bravely made the leap to safety, and fortunately, all were reported in good condition following their ordeal. The rowers had initially aimed to raise £20,000 for Barnardo’s Children Charity and the Forces Children’s Trust but have now been compelled to abandon their record attempt. The 'Rio Grita' is anticipated to arrive in Port Alfred, Quebec, on February 22 or 23, after which the crew is expected to return home.