The crew of a pure car and truck carrier (PCTC) successfully rescued all four occupants of a sailing yacht in distress in the Bay of Biscay off the French and Spanish coasts, the ship's operator confirmed via social media on Thursday, April 2.
The PCTC Autosun, which is operated by United European Car Carriers (UECC), was underway when her crew received a mayday call and was instructed by maritime rescue authorities to proceed to the yacht's last reported position.
UECC said the PCTC's crew immediately initiated a course alteration and increased readiness after receiving the distress alert. A man overboard signal and general alarm were activated to ensure full crew readiness.
The PCTC's crew used a pilot door and a rigged pilot ladder to carry out the recovery operation safely. The ship itself then manoeuvred to create a lee side, reducing motion and providing shelter for the distressed yacht.
UECC said all four individuals on the yacht were safely transferred on board Autosun within minutes, each through the pilot door under controlled conditions. A short medical assessment confirmed that all four rescued individuals were in good health.
A French rescue helicopter later arrived on-scene to airlift the survivors, completing the evacuation.
Editor's note: Neither UECC's social media post nor third-party news reports provided the exact date of the rescue.