Ireland's Pamela Lee, aboard her Class40 yacht #EMPOWHER, played a crucial role in the dramatic rescue of a fellow competitor during the Normandy Channel Race early this morning.
At 1:50 a.m. today, the race management team was notified by CROSS CORSEN of an incident off Brest involving the Class40 NST CABINET Z (n° 191), belonging to Thomas Jourdren and Cédric de Kervenoaël.
Rescue efforts were swiftly initiated by CROSS CORSEN, with assistance from the crew of Class40 #EMPOWHER (n° 178), Pamela Lee and Jay Thompson, who were nearby at the time of the accident.
The two skippers of NST CABINET Z were airlifted by the French Navy and taken to a hospital in Brest for evaluation, according to organisers.
Pamela Lee and Jay Thompson
Lee's Class40 #EMPOWHER, which deployed its liferaft during the rescue operation, was unable to retrieve it and is now en route to Lorient.
Writing on social media, Lee's co-ckipper Jay Thompson wrote: "I was on watch, Pam as sleeping, I heard boat number 191 speaking to a cargo ship over the radio, they were asking if they would be able to clear in front ofthem, the cargo ship captain wasn't very accommodating but rather the contrary, and told them they need to divert, basically get out of the way."
Thompson said, "The next thing I heard was them calling a MayDay, so I woke Pam up and we immediately headed their way. We found the boat in three pieces, with two men sitting on one of the pieces".
"The only thing they had time to do was grab a portable VHF radio... they weren't in survival suits and their life raft was destroyed by the collision", he said.
Lee and Thompson launched their liferaft and dragged it around, trying to circle them and get as close as possible without damaging their own boat with debris from NST CABINET Z.
"The line that our liferaft was attached to broke, so we lost it, unsuccessfully getting to them", Thompson explained.
"We continued to relay messages between them and the Cross-Corsen rescue team as we circled them, keeping flashlights and an eye on them at all times so the helicopter could find them. In the dark, we also threw overboard all lifeslings and things they could grab".
According to Thompson, "The helicopter arrived in the nick of time, when they seemed to mentally start to make no sense".
"We are glad we did not hesitate even a minute, otherwise the outcome might have been different. Needless to say, we are exhausted and emotionally a bit shaken. We are gutted to have to abandon the race, but proud of where we were and of the rescue we did. We are headed to Lorient," he concluded.
