A 69-year-old man who went missing while sailing in the Mediterranean Sea has been rescued after spending 11 days adrift, Spanish maritime rescue services confirmed on Wednesday.
The man set off alone from the port of Gandía, on Spain's east coast, on 17 January, intending to sail south to Guardamar del Segura, around 160 kilometres away.
When he failed to arrive, rescue services launched a search involving aircraft and vessels, but the operation was called off on 22 January after no trace was found.
As hope of finding him alive faded, ships operating in the area were asked to remain alert. The breakthrough came when a Frontex aircraft spotted a sailboat nearly 100 kilometres off the coast of Béjaïa in Algeria. A man on board was seen waving for help.
At that point, the vessel had drifted around 280 nautical miles, roughly 500 kilometres, from its original departure point, a stark illustration of the Mediterranean's volatility. The freighter Thor Confidence was diverted and carried out the rescue.
Both the man and his sailboat are now being transported to the port of Algeciras in southern Spain. Spanish maritime rescue services announced that he was found "safe and well" after a prolonged and fevered search, bringing an unexpectedly positive end to what could have easily become a cautionary tale of life at sea.
Localizado en buen estado el tripulante de 69 años del velero que había salido de Gandía y estaba desaparecido desde el día 17. Se realizó búsqueda con numerosos medios en los días posteriores. Un avión del Frontex lo ha avistado a 53 millas al NE de Bujía (Argelia). El mercante… pic.twitter.com/zi3l8quuLf
— SALVAMENTO MARÍTIMO (@salvamentogob) January 28, 2026
