A 74-year-old Canadian sailor was rescued nearly 500 miles off the Oregon coast last week after his mast snapped in gale-force winds and towering seas during a solo voyage from Hawaii to Vancouver, British Columbia, a route he had successfully completed four times before.
The sailor was navigating 30-foot seas when the mast on his 29-foot vessel, the Alice, broke and his engine failed, leaving him adrift and injured with a damaged shoulder. He activated his satellite communicator to call for help, a decision that the US Coast Guard later credited with saving his life.
Coast Guard watchstanders launched a rescue operation immediately, deploying a long-range aircraft to assess the damage to the vessel and evaluate sea conditions from the air. The Coast Guard-sponsored global safety network AMVER was also activated to identify nearby vessels that could assist. The crew of the Silver Whisper, a cruise ship operating in the area, heard the distress call and volunteered to divert from their route, travelling 120 miles off course to reach the sailor. A second Coast Guard aircraft was launched to provide aerial support as the Silver Whisper made its way to the sailor’s position.
The Silver Whisper crew located the sailor 489 miles offshore and brought him aboard, where the ship’s medical staff treated his shoulder injury until the vessel reached port.
Coast Guard Northwest District Search and Rescue Programme Manager Scott Giard praised both the responding crew and the sailor’s own preparation for making the rescue possible. “This mariner’s experience and preparedness allowed the Coast Guard and other agencies to communicate with him and effect a rescue,” Giard said. “His foresight to bring a satellite communicator averted a tragedy. We would also like to thank Silver Whisper for their assistance with this rescue.”
