Lost at Sea: How My Emergency Beacon Led to a Midnight Rescue in Greece

1 lives saved

Boating

Crash or collision

Normal conditions

Ocean

What happened?

In the dead of night, while sailing through the Gulf of Messinia, Greece, my boat struck an unseen underwater object. The impact was catastrophic. Within moments, I realized my vessel was crippled and rapidly taking on water.

With no time to hesitate, I grabbed the emergency Ocean Signal rescueME EPIRB1 beacon and jumped into the dinghy. As I deployed the beacon, I also managed to send out a MAYDAY call to emergency services. Then, I could do nothing but wait, hoping help would arrive in time.

The hours dragged on as I clung to the dinghy, drifting in the dark waters. Every sound, every movement in the distance, made my heart race. At 1:40 AM, I spotted the towering silhouette of a cargo ship, FADIQ, approaching. Relief washed over me as the crew pulled me from the water. Soon after, a vessel from the Hellenic Coastguard arrived, taking over and transporting me safely to the Port of Kalamata.

After a long, gruelling night, I finally reached a hospital, where doctors examined me. Miraculously, I had escaped unscathed. Though the experience was harrowing, I am forever grateful for the swift response of the authorities and the bravery of the rescue teams who ensured I made it back to shore alive.

Words of wisdom

Training and preparation are the keys to survival.

Attend the survival at sea training and keep a loaded up to date grab bag handy. Things change very quickly.

Thank you note to the Ocean Signal team

A huge thanks to the Hellenic Coast Guard, and my Ocean Signal EPIRB.