Moments of apprehension in the waters off the coast of Brancaleone, where this morning the Coast Guard intervened to rescue a sailing vessel with two foreign boaters on board, left in difficulty due to a sudden and violent storm. The adverse weather conditions, accompanied by strong winds and particularly rough seas, put the unit in serious difficulty, as it remained stuck due to the anchor stuck on the seabed and was unable to carry out the necessary manoeuvres. What made the situation even more delicate was the sudden illness suffered by one of the occupants.
The alarm was triggered following a report received by the Coast Guard Operations Room via the single emergency number 112. Under the coordination of the Port Authority of Reggio Calabria, two patrol boats were immediately sent to the scene, departing from the Roccella Jonica and Reggio Calabria Commands respectively.
Given the health emergency, a doctor from Cisom, the Italian Rescue Corps of the Order of Malta, was also on board one of the rescue units, thanks to the now consolidated collaboration with the port authorities.
Despite the difficult sea conditions and gusts of wind, the rescuers managed to reach the sailing boat. The medical staff then transferred the doctor to the boat, allowing him to provide initial treatment to the woman, whose condition was stabilized and constantly monitored. At the same time, the Coast Guard men provided the necessary technical support to free the stranded anchor, thus allowing the vessel to recover the possibility of maneuvering and resuming navigation.
Once safety conditions were restored, the sailing boat, accompanied by Coast Guard units, was escorted to the port of Roccella Jonica, where subsequent checks were carried out to protect the two boaters.
The intervention ended positively, without further consequences for the people involved. The timeliness of the Coast Guard’s action and the collaboration with the Cisom health personnel were decisive, making it possible to deal with the emergency at sea and the health emergency at the same time, bringing the vessel and its occupants back to safe conditions.