A French man and his cat, who were for a few reason sailing the rough seas south of Alaska together, recently hurled themselves from their disabled boat to a waiting ship in a dramatic rescue. The man’s identity hasn’t been released, but Petty Officer Lauren Steenson in Kodiak said the sailboat was named La Chimere.
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Mr Wattecamps’ written description of the chain of events that led to the loss of his ship, about 650km south of Cold Bay, reveals that the yacht was turned upside down by a large wave in the night, prompting him to activate a distress beacon.
“With the 20-ft seas, his boat is getting pretty well thrown around”, said an aircraft crew-woman over the radio.
A nearby Shell drilling rig, Polar Pioneer, dispatched the vessel Tor Viking II to assist the mariner after being contacted by the C-130 crew.
He disappears behind the railing head first.
The sailor had called for help after his vessel lost its rudder and rigging in heavy seas and strong winds off the coast of Alaska – and he tucked a cat in his sweater before making the jump.
The 28-year-old sailor, along with his cat which he tucked inside his coat ahead of the leap, miraculously escaped without serious injuries and is back on dry land.
It wasn’t immediately clear if the man would continue with the Shell ships to Washington state.
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Wattecamps-Etienne’s sailboat was flipped in the middle of the night by a large wave while on route from Dutch Harbor, Alaska, to San Diego, and the cabin was filled with water.
