The castaway adventurer was found alive in the Pacific four days after the search was called off

Aaron Garotta, an American who attempted to circumnavigate the world by boat, was wanted since May 31.

Published On 06/17/2023 20:33

Update On 06/17/2023 20:36

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Stormy skies over the Marquesas Islands, the archipelago closest to where the castaway was discovered, on January 15, 2018. (ANTOINE BOUREAU / HANS LUCAS / AFP) — Stormy skies over the Marquesas Islands, the archipelago closest to where the castaway was discovered, on January 15, 2018. (Antoine Boureau/Hans Lucas/AFP)

All hope of finding Aaron Garotta was lost. But the American navigator, who had been searching in an uninhabited area of the Pacific, was reported to have been rescued by an oil tanker on Friday, June 16. High Commission of the Republic in French Polynesia. However, the end of the search was decided on Monday.

The adventurer left South America for a solo world tour aboard the rowing boat Smiles. Her distress beacon was triggered on 31 May, but her signal was not picked up after that. Nine merchant or pleasure vessels participated in the search, without success. They were thrown away, “Lack of new elements” Find the ship.

Almost 1,000 km from the nearest land

But on Thursday, the canoe’s distress beacon was picked up again in the area of responsibility of the Joint Rescue Coordination Center (JRCC), which is coordinating relief in French Polynesia.

The shipwrecked man, who was in a lifeboat, was searched for by a US aircraft on Thursday afternoon and later rescued on Friday by an oil tanker sent to meet him. Aaron Carota was 950 km east of the Marquesas Archipelago, part of French Polynesia. He is safe and sound.