Early in the morning on Monday, January 20, 2025, a tragedy struck the maritime community. The fishing boat Rose des Vents, based at the Boyardville port on the island of Oléron, capsized off the coast of La Brée-les-Bains. The distress signal was activated at 5:50 am by the ship's emergency beacon. The CROSS A-ETEL, in charge of the operation, was unable to establish contact with the crew and immediately launched a large-scale rescue operation.

Responding to the emergency, the CROSS A-ETEL deployed the Dauphin helicopter of the French Navy based in La Rochelle, as well as the rescue boat SNS 144 IMA Antioche from the SNSM station in La Rochelle. Simultaneously, nearby vessels were alerted to join in the search efforts.

The situation became clearer around 6:30 am when a crucial call reached the authorities: the skipper of the Rose des Vents had managed to swim back to the shore and sought refuge in a nearby house. It was he who recounted the circumstances of the tragedy.

A Fatal Wave for the Young Sailor

The fisherman explained that the boat had capsized around 3 am. He and his 22-year-old crew member initially clung to the overturned hull of the fishing boat. However, a violent wave threw them back into the water. While the skipper managed to climb back onto the hull, he lost sight of his crewmate.

Despite hours of intense searching, the body of the young sailor was located by the Dragon 17 helicopter of the Civil Security at 12:26 pm. He was pronounced dead at 2:05 pm, plunging the local community into grief.

The skipper, safe and sound, was taken to the hospital in Rochefort for examinations after alerting rescuers by knocking on the door of a house near the shore.

Deceptive Maritime Conditions

Although the weather appeared relatively calm, with an east wind of force 4 and sea state 3, certain areas around the island of Oléron remain perilous. The hull of the Rose des Vents eventually washed ashore on the beach of La Brée-les-Bains. An investigation has been launched by the maritime gendarmerie to determine the exact circumstances of the accident. Despite significant rescue efforts – including two helicopters, the SNSM rescue boat, and twenty firefighters mobilized – fate was cruel to this young sailor.