CAPRICE

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Skipper washed over board and rescued in large scaled SAR-operation

On May 23, 2013, around 5 p.m. the CROSS Corsen was alerted after the skipper of the "Caprice" was washed over board north-west of Ushant. The yacht had a crew of two aboard. The French search and rescue authorities coordinated the rescue, with Brixham Coastguard assisting by keeping in regular contact with the man still on board the yacht and the French authorities. The CROSS Corsen implemented many water and air resources already present in the area as part of the Franco-German manoever Spontex: a Eurocopter EC225 helicopter and two Cayman helicopters, a fixed wing aircraft, the frigates "Primauguet" and "Commandant L'Herminier" and the two German frigates "Emden" and "Bremen" as well as the German tanker "Frankfurt am Main" and the SCNC-lifeboat from Ouessant. At 6:30 p.m., the castaway, a 55-year-old man, was spotted by the German frigate "Bremen" which launched a semi-rigid hull boat and recovered him. The Cayman helicopter winched a medical team aboard the frigate. The man was alive but suffering from hypothermia. The man was wearing a lifejacket and also a type of wet suit, which undoubtedly saved his life. It was also a bright orange colour, so it made it easier for him to be spotted by rescuers. He was transferred to the hospital Cavale Blanche in Brest with a Caymann 33F helicopter. The French lifeboat managed to locate the yacht and escorted it back to Ushant with the one remaining crew member on board. French report with photo link: http://www.premar-atlantique.gouv.fr/communiques-presse/homme-sauve-mer-large-ile-ouessant.html