Flare leads to sailors’ rescue by Ukrainian and Russian oil workers

07/04/2022

A flare was fired by three sailors after their boat sank off Africa – leading to a rescue by Ukrainian and Russian oil workers.

The oil workers said they would not let the war damage their relationship, reports the Calgary Herald.

Canadian, Casper Venter, Swedish sailor, Gunnar Andersson, and Andrea Ciotoli were delivering Lorrigray II from Malaysia to the southern Caribbean when it sank off the coast of Madagascar.

They sent out a distress signal and pumped out water. However,  the boat eventually sank and they took to a life raft.

Gunnar Andersson had a satellite phone connected to an emergency beacon and contacted Swedish rescuers. They worked with the Canadian Coast Guard to contact the nearest ship, an oil tanker, the Petalouda. It was 150 nautical miles away. The crew changed course to rescue the sailors.

The three sailors thought they saw the oil tanker on the horizon and fired a red flare to indicate their position. The tanker crew spotted it, approached and carried out the rescue. The men were given medical care, food and also water.

The tanker crew was made up of Russian and Ukrainian sailors who spoke English. Despite the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the tanker’s captain said the sailors wouldn’t let the war affect their relationship.

“He said to us, the sailors focus on their work. They’re apolitical. If they can be an example of how they can work together, so be it,” Mr Venter says.

The three sailors were later brought to the island of Mayotte from where they flew home.

The image of the Petalouda is by R’lyeh Imaging on Flickr and is reproduced under CreativeCommons.