The emergency took place with a boat that works in recreation and tourism on the beaches of El Morro, in Tumaco. After finishing the daily activity, three crew members sailed to a nearby area, but after a few minutes of navigation, still near the departure point, the boat suffered engine failure, running out of propulsion. The current was moving them away of the coast and night had already fallen, so one of them made the decision to swim to the shore and report the situation to Harbor Master of the General Maritime Directorate.
Immediately, once the situation was reported, the search for the boat was launched for the rescue of the two crew members on board. A Unit of the Tumaco Coastguard Station headed towards the said area, but the boat had been dragged by the current six nautical miles of the place. After staying for four hours adrift, the boat was towed with its crew to a secure dock, where they received medical assistance from Naval Health personnel.
So far this year, the Navy of Colombia through the Pacific Naval Force has rescued and evacuated 97 people who suffered emergencies in the Pacific Ocean or had faced some kind of medical emergency in the coastal communities and required the help of the Institution.
Source: Navy of Colombia
